Lando Norris Tops FP1 in Sao Paulo as McLaren Faces Challenges
Lando Norris laid down an early marker in Sao Paulo, topping first practice at Interlagos on a day that hinted at shifting storylines up and down the pit lane.
No sprint. Extra track time. And a session that never quite settled.
Norris sets the pace, McLaren questions linger
Norris ended FP1 as the quickest driver, carrying over the sharp form that has made him a constant threat this season. With no sprint race on the schedule this weekend, teams have the luxury of two more practice sessions, and Norris used the opening hour well.
McLaren, though, sit under a harsher light. Former F1 mechanic Calum Nicholas, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, summed up the sense of drift.
They looked reborn when their mid-European upgrade package hit the car. Since then, the edge has dulled. Results have flattened. Nicholas suggested the team may already be looking beyond the here and now, shifting focus and resources towards 2027 rather than chasing marginal gains in the closing races.
Norris, fastest today, will not be thinking that far ahead. He has a more immediate target: back‑to‑back wins in Brazil.
Verstappen gripes, then grabs P1
At the top of the timesheets, it felt like a game of musical chairs.
Kimi Antonelli surged to the front with a 1:11.799 for Mercedes, the reigning champion reminding everyone why he has been the story of the season. Max Verstappen slotted in behind him, Lewis Hamilton just a step further back. The prospect of another podium featuring that trio already felt very real.
Then the mood changed.
Verstappen came on the radio to complain his gear shifts were “unacceptable”. Moments later, he did what he so often does: he went faster anyway. Much faster. The Red Bull driver snatched top spot from Antonelli by eight tenths of a second, a huge margin in a busy opening session.
It was that kind of hour. One lap, Antonelli on top. The next, Verstappen. The leaderboard moved like a live wire.
Antonelli, Hamilton and a familiar elite
Antonelli’s return to P1 earlier in the session was another reminder of how quickly he has embedded himself among the sport’s heavyweights. To see his name bracketed with Verstappen and Hamilton is already becoming normal, which might be the most impressive thing of all.
He has already spoken about how special it felt to celebrate his championship with those two giants of the era, even going as far as to frame their celebrations. Today, he was back on track with them, not as a spectator to their history, but as part of the present fight.
Hamilton, third in the order at one stage, has his own milestone looming.
Hamilton’s 400th: “I still have the speed”
Sunday will be Hamilton’s 400th Formula 1 start, a staggering number that only Fernando Alonso has matched.
“It's kind of crazy, I never ever thought that I would be reaching numbers like that,” he admitted on Thursday. He talked about still feeling young, about the noise around him, and about the answer he delivered with pole last week.
“I still have the pace, I still have the speed and I still have the dedication which is most important and the focus,” he said. The number itself, he claimed, is “kind of irrelevant”, but the setting is not. To hit 400 in Brazil, a country where he has enjoyed some of his most emotional afternoons, clearly means something. He even joked about photographers who have been around for 500 races.
He will want this weekend to be remembered for more than a statistic.
Rookies, opportunities and early markers
With no sprint compressing the weekend, the extra practice mileage is a gift for the newcomers.
Arvid Lindblad and Rafael Camara, both tackling Interlagos for the first time, have room to breathe, to make mistakes, to learn the rhythm of a circuit that punishes hesitation. Every lap counts more when there is no Saturday shootout to protect.
Alpine rookie Gabriele Mini made his presence felt, climbing to seventh with a 1:12.569. It was a neat, composed lap that hinted at a driver wasting no time to adapt. Franco Colapinto also muscled his way into the conversation, firing in a strong effort to haul his Alpine into the top three with a 1:13.140.
Liam Lawson completed the early top 10, while Oliver Bearman sat just outside in 11th for Haas, his future still unresolved with no confirmation yet for the 2027 season. Every session, every sector, doubles as an audition.
Not everyone had a clean run. Luke Browning’s progress stalled as he headed back to the Williams garage with a car issue, his track time cut just as the circuit began to rubber in.
Alex Albon, in the other Williams, worked himself into the top 10 and, at one point, ran just behind his close friend George Russell. A small detail, but one that underlined how congested and competitive the midfield already looks.
The weekend opens up
By the chequered flag, Norris’ name sat at the top of the times, Verstappen had aired his frustrations and then underlined his authority, Antonelli had once again shown he belongs in elite company, and Hamilton’s 400th loomed over it all.
No sprint means no early answers. Just more laps, more data, more chances for this grid to shuffle again before it really counts.
If the first practice session is anything to go by, Brazil is not easing anyone gently into the weekend.
