São Paulo GP FP1 recap and context
In Interlagos, the opening free practice session set the tone for the Brazilian weekend. The circuit, exposed to gusty winds, delivered dry running that allowed teams to push setups while the spray of tactics began to emerge. Carlos Sainz, driving for Ferrari, topped the times early and late, ultimately posting the fastest lap as the session drew to a close. His pace came on a soft compound, with his teammate Charles Leclerc also near the front, sandwiching George Russell of Mercedes who began the weekend strong after last year’s victory in Brazil.
From the very start, Max Verstappen showed pace for Red Bull, clocking a strong lap in the early runs. He would finish the session with a header pace that suggested a fight for pole could unfold later in the weekend. Sergio Pérez was not far behind, testing the balance and comfort of the car while noting that his seat position felt slightly off on the radio, a reminder that minor ergonomic details can matter as teams optimize cockpit fit just ahead of sprint-focused sessions.
Mercedes opted to keep things carefully measured in the first hour, choosing not to reveal every card during a single practice run. Hamilton completed a solid lap, while Verstappen stayed in the pit area for a spell as Red Bull engineers tuned the seat and confirmed the car’s base behavior on the long Interlagos laps. The morning demonstrated where each team stood and hinted at how much drama could unfold in the sprint format later in the weekend.
Mix of parts from Alonso’s car
Fernando Alonso moved into the top ten thanks to a blend of components from Aston Martin, reflecting the team’s ongoing exploration of performance packages. The strategy involved selecting a mix of the new developments and tried-and-true parts, aiming to keep the car reliable while still extracting maximum pace. Pedro de la Rosa explained that the two AMR23s, driven by Alonso and Lance Stroll, were not identical machines. The team opted for a hybrid approach during this phase of evaluation, testing how different assemblies behaved on the same Circuito de Interlagos surface.
Two versions of the AMR23 were visible in the garage, each reflecting a separate interpretation of the latest package versus the prior iteration. The team repeatedly noted the importance of finding the right balance between new parts and existing configurations to suit the Brazilian track conditions. The session’s atmosphere suggested a broader plan: continue refining aero and suspension ideas while gathering data for Sunday’s competition.
Two tweets from Fernando Alonso’s camp highlighted the ongoing experiment: a note that the cars carried distinct configurations from one another, and a hope that the mix would yield improved performance as the weekend progressed. The overall takeaway was clear—Interlagos would serve as a crucial testing ground for Aston Martin’s mid-season refresh strategy.
Yuki Tsunoda, piloting the AlphaTauri, pushed Verstappen’s early pace down by three tenths, establishing a serious benchmark of 1:12.802. Russell’s improved lap put him ahead of Hamilton, moving into fourth place while Alonso’s challenges on the rough surface kept him racing and searching for grip after a puncture required a pit stop. The gravel and stone-strewn corners drew notable complaints from the Spaniard, who criticized track conditions as not meeting Formula 1’s standards.
The closing half hour of FP1 saw teams pushing soft tires to lap counts, with Haas leading the charge on the tire compound. Nico Hülkenberg finished the session in second place for Haas, followed by Magnussen and the rest of the midfield charge, signaling a competitive field and plenty to analyze as teams prepared for the second practice and the sprint-focused segments to come.
Ferrari chose to reveal their speed at the end of the session, with Carlos Sainz delivering the best time with three minutes remaining, clocking 1:11.732. Charles Leclerc and George Russell completed the initial top three, rounding out a strong Friday for the Italian constructors. Alonso, despite the rough track and earlier setback, finished eleventh, while Verstappen was down in sixteenth as the morning concluded. The margin to the fastest time underscored a tight field and the potential for rapid shifts in the afternoon’s practice as teams fine-tuned the cars for the sprint format.
Looking ahead, the team plans suggested that Friday afternoon would include a single sprint-focused session, with subsequent qualifying shaping the grid for Sunday’s main race. The afternoon’s results would determine the placement for the Saturday 100-kilometer sprint and Sunday’s grand prix, making the FP1 numbers a critical barometer for strategy across the weekend.
São Paulo GP. Free 1:
1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 1’11″732
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 0″108
3. George Russell (Mercedes) 0″133
4. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) 0″196
5. Alexander Albon (Williams) 0″312
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 0″404
7. Pierre Gasly (Alp) 0″452
8. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) 0″749
9. Logan Sargeant (Williams) 0″847
10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) 0″860
11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 0″883
12. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 0″906
13. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) 0″982
14. Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri) 1″046
15. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) 1″047
16. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1″061
17. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) 1″280
18. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) 1″324
19. Lando Norris (McLaren) 1″897
20. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 2″106