Lando Norris tops free practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix 2025, followed by Oscar Piastri, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto.
Its A Sprint, Not A Marathon
The cars took to a sunny and hot Interlagos track on Friday in Brazil for the only practice session of this Sprint weekend. Creating extra pressure on the teams to get their setups right before Sprint Qualifying later on Friday evening.
As the Session Happened…
This crucial practice session was initially delayed by 5 minutes to clear up some dropped oil, but quickly became action-packed. The drivers were immediately on the pace as they looked to make use of every second.
5 minutes into the session, Yuki Tsunoda lost his car on the Turn 4 exit curb. He clipped two barriers and was very lucky not to end his session. Yuki was straight back into the pits to check both the front and rear suspension, which had taken knocks.
Yuki didn’t return until 35 minutes into the session, and having to play catch up.
Turn 4 proved tricky for both Red Bulls, as Verstappen slid wide twice but avoided the barriers.
15 minutes into the session, George Russell topped the timesheet by nearly 2 tenths with a 1:11.188, followed by Verstappen, Sainz and the two Ferraris, all on the hard tyres.
The teams were clearly prioritising long-term data gathering as they kept to their initial hard tyre sets for well over 20 laps.
The long-run pace looked close between the McLarens and Ferraris, with Red Bull and Mercedes a small step back.
Qualifying Sims
The drivers opted for the medium tyre for their qualifying simulations, as the times quickly tumbled. This could be to save the softs for later sessions, but the hot temperatures and twisty middle sector make the medium an attractive tyre for one-lap pace.
Piastri went quickest on the initial runs with a 1:10.193, in front of his title rival and teammate, who was nearly 3 tenths behind. Followed by a mixed line-up of Hulkenberg, Sainz, Alonso and the two Racing Bulls.
As the Flag Flew
Lando Norris snatched top spot at the flag thanks to the quickest final sector of the session, recording a 1:09.975. He beat his teammate by 2 hundredths of a second to complete a McLaren 1-2.
Behind them, the Kick Saubers showed promising pace in 3rd and 5th, with Hulkenberg finishing 6 tenths back from the McLarens.
The two Mercedes finished 6th and 10th, with Russell leading the way
The large gap can be partially explained by Verstappen and both Ferraris only setting their fastest times on the hards after backing out of their final runs on the mediums.
The McLarens are the team to beat once again in Brazil as Lando Norris tops free practice before Sprint Qualifying.
Formula 1 will be back for Sprint Qualifying at 3:30 pm local time (GMT-3) to set the grid for Saturday’s Sprint.
Feature Image Credits: Formula 1