#F1 #BrazilGP #FP1: @LandoNorris pips @McLarenF1 team-mate @OscarPiastri by 0.023s.

Norris Brazil GP FP1 – Championship leader Lando Norris pipped team-mate Oscar Piastri right at the end of the FP1 session at the Brazil GP to head a McLaren one-two as Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg completed the top three. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was down in 17^th.

Norris posted the session-topping benchmark with the C4 yellow side-walled medium compounds with a 1:09.975 and was a slim 0.023 seconds ahead of Piastri whilst Hulkenberg was a further 0.619 seconds adrift in third.

The start of FP1 was delayed due to some marshals on the track sweeping, and it looked like that could be the reason that race Control just announced a delay to the start of the only practice session before Sprint Qualifying – the session would start five minutes later.

Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli lead the pack out on track with the C2 white side-walled harder compounds.

The Italian registered the opening benchmark of a 1:28.808, which was beaten by RB’s Liam Lawson’s 1:14.120 as Williams’ Alexander Albon shot to the top on a 1:13.751, then was ousted by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who hit P1 with a 1:12.662.

Norris slotted into second with a 1:12.700 as George Russell pushed to third with a 1:12.792 but, this was brief as team-mate Piastri took P1 posting a 1:12.169 at fourth-minute mark of the session.

Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton with three personal bests jumped to second to be 0.225 seconds adrift of Piastri’s best effort.

Championship leader Norris was next and with two personal bests clinched P1 with a 1:12.051 effort – but this was momentarily as Russell took top spot setting a 1:11.861 as replays showed Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda suffer a spin off the exit kerb at turn nine.

The Japanese driver ran slightly wide and got out onto the kerbs. That sent him spinning off, and Tsunoda just clipped the corner of the barriers with his front tyre. The Red Bull driver damaged the end-plate as well, and limped back to the pits to have his RB21 racer checked over.

His team-mate Verstappen on the C4 red marked softer compounds with a purple sector one and two personal bests jumped to second and ended up 0.107 seconds off Russell’s best time at the eighth minute mark of proceedings.

Norris pipped Russell by 0.065 seconds at the top posting a 1:11.796 at the 11^th-minute mark of the session setting two personal bests.

Verstappen with two personal best opening sectors hit second to be 0.151 seconds off Russell’s benchmark posting a 1:11.693 as Piastri bumped the Dutchman to third with a purple middle sector and setting a 1:11.635.

Russell improved on his best at the top of the time-sheets setting a 1:11.188 as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc slotted into second in the order to be 0.429 seconds off the Mercedes driver’s new benchmark as the drivers continued to circulate Interlagos on the harder compounds.

Verstappen with the best sector three time returned to second place behind Russell to end up 0.180 seconds off Russell’s time.

Replays showed Antonelli weaving through the Ferrari of

Hamilton with two personal bests jumped to fourth with his 1:11.631 effort to be 0.443 off his former team-mate Russell’s time-topper just past the opening quarter of the sole practice session.

The seven-time world champion was demoted to fifth as team-mate Leclerc jumped to third overall with his 1:11.493 effort and Alpine Pierre Gasly’s 1:11.577 effort to go third and fourth respectively.

RB’s Lawson went sixth in the order setting a 1:11.582 at the 20^th minute mark of the session as the field began returning to the pits after their opening stints to adjust their setups and prepare for their next run.

Williams’ Carlos Sainz with three personal bests jumped to third in the classification posting a 1:11.471.

Hamilton at the 24^th-minute mark moved to fifth to end up 0.338 seconds adrift of Russell’s best effort.

All the drivers returned to the track on the harder tyre to continue to work on their long race data gathering runs within the 25^th-minute mark to the halfway point of the session.

The order just past the halfway point was Russell on top with Verstappen second, Sainz third the two Ferrari’s of Leclerc and Hamilton fourth and fifth respectively, Gasly sixth, Lawson seventh, Piastri eighth, Antonelli ninth whilst Norris rounded out the top ten.

Piastri then jumped to third with a purple sector two to be 0.213 seconds off Russell’s best effort with 28 minutes left on the clock.

Replays showed Verstappen have a wild moment as his RB21 racer suffered a snap of oversteer at turn four as the Dutchman ran through the run-off area.

Red Bull’s Tsunoda returned to the track with 25 minutes remaining as the Japanese driver emerged on the C4 softer rubber.

Tsunoda – the only driver out there on the softs at this stage – with three personal bests on the softs placed 13^th in the classification setting a 1:11.929 to wound up 0.741 seconds off Russell’s best time.

Replays showed Verstappen and Russell run very close to each other through turn six.

The majority of the field began returning to their respective garages to adjust their setups and prepare for their C3 medium tyre qualifying simulation stints under the 20 minutes remaining mark of the session.

Tsunoda improved to tenth setting a 1:11.763 to end up 0.575 seconds adrift of Russell’s best effort with 17 minutes left on the clock.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Williams’ Albon came out on the C3 yellow-marked medium tyres as the session reached the final quarter.

Stroll with three personal bests jumped to second with a 1:11.350 to be 0.162 seconds off.

Albon went fastest with three purples setting a 1:11.004 to be 0.184 seconds clear of Russell as Antonelli slotted into fourth after RB’s Isack Hadjar’s flyer.

Russell returned to the head of the pile with a 1:10.916 with two personal bests but was knocked off top spot from Sainz’s 1:10.820.

Haas’s Esteban Ocon split Sainz and Russell in second to end up 0.086 seconds off at the top three were covered by 0.100 seconds.

Piastri went quickest with three purples to hit a 1:10.193 effort as team-mate Norris slotted into second and 0.278 seconds off as Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg placed third to be 0.577 seconds off the formers best effort.

Home favourite Gabriel Bortoleto with three personal bests planted his Sauber sixth in the order to be 0.672 seconds off Piastri’s time-topper with eight minutes remaining.

Hadjar relegated the Brazilian to seventh as the Frenchman went sixth in the order setting a 1:10.865 and was 0.668 seconds off.

Lawson then bumped his team-mate down to seventh with his 1:10.848 effort and wounded up 0.655 seconds adrift of Piastri’s best time.

Alonso improved to fourth overall setting a 1:10.606 as Bortoleto also found gains to go fifth.

Piastri improved his time at the top setting a 1:09.998 flying lap to go 0.261 seconds clear of team-mate Norris with four minutes left on the clock.

Norris with a purple sector three pipped McLaren team-mate Piastri by 0.023 seconds to end the session fastest setting a 1:09.975 as Hulkenberg completed the top three.

Replays showed Hamilton suffer a spin on the rundown towards Juncao as the Briton reported the rear hit the floor.

Alonso was fourth over and ahead of Bortoleto who placed fifth and Russell who ended FP1 sixth.

Gasly held seventh and in-front of Sainz who finished Free Practice 1 eighth as Hadjar and Antonelli rounded out the top ten.

You can see the full Formula 1 MSC Cruises Grande Premio De Sao Paulo 2025 Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES GRANDE PRÊMIO DE SÃO PAULO 2025 – PRACTICE 1

#F1 #MSCCruises Sao Paulo GP 2025 Preview. #BrazilGP #SaoPauloGP