Lando Norris set the fastest time in Brazil first practice, putting his upgraded McLaren at the top of the timesheet at Interlagos with a 1:11.717. The Briton finished 0.082 seconds ahead of newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli, giving McLaren an early boost in a season where recent victories have been scarce.
McLaren arrived in Sao Paulo with a substantial package: a new front wing, rear wing, beam wing and floor furniture. While most teams have shifted development toward their 2027 cars, McLaren’s decision to bring these parts appears to have paid off immediately, with Norris leading a tightly bunched field.
Four teams fill the top four
Max Verstappen placed third for Red Bull, 0.236s off the pace, while Lewis Hamilton was fourth in the Ferrari, 0.324s behind. The result meant four different constructors occupied the top four positions, hinting at a competitive weekend ahead.
George Russell, who has endured a trying season and spoke on Thursday about his “atrocious luck,” completed the top five for Mercedes, 0.386s adrift. Russell will carry a five-place grid penalty into Sunday’s race after taking a new internal combustion engine, meaning he will start no higher than sixth.
Isack Hadjar was sixth in the second Red Bull, ahead of Alpine junior Gabriele Mini, who was the quickest of the replacement rookies in seventh. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Franco Colapinto (Alpine) and Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) rounded out the top ten.
Mercedes eye constructors' title
Antonelli, who clinched the drivers’ championship last weekend in Mexico, wore a special helmet in tribute to three-time world champion Ayrton Senna. Mercedes can secure the constructors’ championship this Sunday if they outscore Ferrari by three points or more.
Six replacement rookies took part in first practice as teams continue to fulfil the requirement that a rookie must run in at least two practice sessions across the season in both cars. Among them was Formula 2 driver Colton Herta, who completed 100km around Interlagos to gain another super licence point. That took him to 40 points overall, the minimum required to be eligible for a full-time F1 race seat.
Herta’s running comes amid uncertainty over Valtteri Bottas’s future at Cadillac. Although Bottas signed a multi-year contract starting in 2026, his position is reportedly under scrutiny after a difficult season compared to team-mate Sergio Perez, and Cadillac are believed to be keen on an American driver. Bottas was 15th in first practice, while Herta was 20th.
Camara makes debut, Slater halted
Formula 2 championship leader Rafael Camara made his F1 weekend debut for Haas, replacing Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the season following a dispute in Mexico. Camara, already confirmed to race for Haas full-time in 2027, was 18th and had a clean session in front of his home fans.
Williams’ Luke Browning was limited to 12 laps because of an issue, while Ferrari’s Dino Beganovic, standing in for Charles Leclerc, spent much of the session in the garage due to a floor change. British teenager Freddie Slater suffered more misfortune when a suspected gearbox problem stopped his Audi in the middle sector, echoing his lost track time in Mexico the previous week.
Second practice is scheduled for 7pm local time, with qualifying set for 6pm on Saturday.
