Lando Norris made his mark during the first session of Free Practice in Brazil, setting the best time ahead of George Russell and Oliver Bearman.
The Interlagos circuit once again welcomed Oliver Bearman, a young British driver who took the wheel for the Haas team to replace Kevin Magnussen, who was absent for medical reasons. This is Bearman's third appearance this season, and he did not disappoint, demonstrating his ability to adapt quickly to Formula 1.
In a session lasting just an hour, the drivers started out on soft tires, but with changeable weather forecast, it is likely they will have to juggle wet and intermediate tires over the weekend. The Interlagos track, still “green” and slippery, trapped several drivers in the tight turns, making the session particularly delicate.
Verstappen and a penalty on the grid
Max Verstappen reported significant sliding issues to his team, revealing that the RB20 lacked grip on the demanding track. A penalty of five places on the starting grid for Sunday's Grand Prix awaits the Red Bull driver, who will therefore have to overcome this obstacle to defend his championship lead.
Midway through the session, however, Verstappen held the provisional best time, but drivers like George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso quickly invited themselves into the leading trio, while the Dutchman voluntarily aborted his best lap.
Norris and the other challengers position themselves
After a calm first half of the session, the times started to fall. Lando Norris, in a direct fight with Verstappen for the title, only appeared in 15th position mid-session, almost a second behind his rival. Oscar Piastri, his McLaren teammate, was just outside the top 10, showing the team's competitiveness despite uneven performances.
The Alpine, in better form recently, temporarily occupied 13th and 14th places, while the Sauber of Zhou and Bottas, faithful to their position at the back of the grid this season, brought up the rear.
End of session: Russell and Bearman fly over the track
The last twenty minutes saw the drivers switch back to soft tires, considerably lowering the times. George Russell took the best time with a lap of 1:10.791, followed very closely by Oliver Bearman, who surprised by placing his car a hundredth behind Russell. Norris, while improving, did not manage to get ahead of his leading competitors, keeping a dose of suspense for the sprint qualifications.
With this session full of twists and turns, fans can expect an intense race weekend, where Verstappen's leadership could be put in jeopardy. Sprint qualifying is already shaping up to be a key moment, as drivers prepare to take on the demanding and unpredictable Brazilian track.
