Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Interlagos, São Paulo
- Lap Length: 4.309 km
- Race Laps: 71
- Total Distance: 305.879 km
- Lap Record: 1:10.540 (Valtteri Bottas, 2018 Mercedes)
- Last Year: Pole Lando Norris (1:23.403), Winner Max Verstappen, Fastest Lap Verstappen (1:20.472)
McLaren Set the Tone Early
Opening practice in São Paulo saw Lando Norris clock the quickest time at 1:09.975, leading a top ten that included Piastri, Hülkenberg, Alonso, Bortoleto, Russell, Gasly, Sainz, Hadjar, and Antonelli. While the leaderboard looked chaotic, few took it as representative. Ferrari never ran qualifying laps, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen aborted his soft-tyre attempt in the final corner, and Yuki Tsunoda’s light-but-costly crash ended his session before he could complete his run plan.
Fans noted how FP1 on a sprint weekend always distorts the order, with most teams treating the session as an extended systems check. Every outfit selected the hard compound as their primary return set to Pirelli, except Red Bull, who burned an extra soft to gather data. With the soft C4 previously used as a race tire at Interlagos, teams seemed cautious about overusing it this early.
Still, McLaren’s form grabbed attention. Norris’s lap looked clean and composed, and several observers pointed out that if the team sustains that balance through the weekend, we could be headed for another McLaren–Red Bull battle.
Tsunoda’s Crash Sparks Bigger Questions
The first red flag of the weekend came from Yuki Tsunoda, who spun into the wall at Turn 4. What might have been dismissed as a minor incident instead ignited a much deeper conversation about his F1 future. Many fans were blunt, calling his seat “done since the summer break,” with some citing Honda’s reduced influence as the writing on the wall. Others argued he remains likeable but lacks the consistent performance needed to justify his place on the grid.
Several comparisons surfaced: Alex Albon’s career turnaround, Lance Stroll’s longevity, and Helmut Marko’s decisive hand in Red Bull’s driver shuffle. Even sympathetic voices admitted Tsunoda’s crash, combined with his underwhelming pace earlier in the session, will only intensify the scrutiny. The wordplay practically wrote itself online: “Tsunodium became Tsunover.”
Technical Curiosities and Tyre Talk
The mix of run plans and tire allocations kept fans busy decoding lap times. Ferrari ran exclusively on hards; Red Bull alternated between softs and hards; and Yuki’s team attempted a condensed short-to-long run simulation on softs after losing early pit time. A few viewers praised the depth of fan knowledge in explaining how tire returns work under sprint rules, one of those niche but essential Interlagos traditions.
As some joked, “Someone forgot reverse grid doesn’t apply yet,” when Haas and Aston Martin appeared high in the order. Others revisited Hülkenberg’s 2010 Interlagos pole and 2012 heroics, celebrating his P3 as a fitting reminder that he’s always thrived here. Still, everyone knew conditions and strategy would reset the pecking order by qualifying.
Hamilton Spin Ends the Session
The final minutes brought another flashpoint when Lewis Hamilton spun near the end of the lap. His radio reported the rear bottoming out, which fans quickly linked to similar compression issues that had caught both Tsunoda and Verstappen earlier. Engineers and fans alike debated whether the slope’s load frequency or minor bumps through the corner triggered the sudden loss of grip.
Commenters described it as bottoming instability rather than a driver mistake, the car simply spat him around. Some added humor (“720° spin for full track awareness,” “How to warm your tires instantly”), but the consensus was clear: the Mercedes was hitting the ground too hard through that mid-sector crest. Ferrari, for one, took note, proof they couldn’t take that corner flat on hards at current ride height.
Early Takeaways
Free Practice 1 delivered a little bit of everything, McLaren pace, Red Bull restraint, Ferrari anonymity, and an entire subplot around Tsunoda’s future. Beneath the chaos, the thread connecting all sessions was setup sensitivity: how low the cars can run before ground effect turns on them.
Interlagos has a way of exposing every weakness, from suspension geometry to driver composure, and FP1 reminded everyone that even a short session here rarely runs quietly. And rain is coming.