Team Sector Rankings – 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix (FP1)
McLaren once again showed strong early pace at Interlagos, topping all three sectors in Free Practice 1. Their consistency across the lap saw them comfortably lead the team ideal lap standings, with Racing Bulls and Mercedes following. Meanwhile, Ferrari endured a tough start to the weekend, sitting last in the combined ideal lap rankings.
| Position | Sector 1 | Sector 2 | Sector 3 | Ideal Lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren – 17.837 | McLaren – 35.733 | McLaren – 16.162 | McLaren – 69.732 |
| 2 | Williams (+0.173s) | Sauber (+0.285s) | Mercedes (+0.081s) | Racing Bulls (+0.670s) |
| 3 | Racing Bulls (+0.233s) | Racing Bulls (+0.330s) | Williams (+0.082s) | Mercedes (+0.698s) |
| 4 | Aston Martin (+0.235s) | Mercedes (+0.376s) | Racing Bulls (+0.107s) | Williams (+0.728s) |
| 5 | Mercedes (+0.241s) | Aston Martin (+0.393s) | Sauber (+0.173s) | Sauber (+0.755s) |
| 6 | Red Bull (+0.243s) | Haas (+0.442s) | Alpine (+0.178s) | Aston Martin (+0.862s) |
| 7 | Alpine (+0.247s) | Williams (+0.473s) | Haas (+0.201s) | Alpine (+0.949s) |
| 8 | Sauber (+0.297s) | Red Bull (+0.520s) | Red Bull (+0.230s) | Red Bull (+0.993s) |
| 9 | Ferrari (+0.360s) | Alpine (+0.524s) | Aston Martin (+0.234s) | Haas (+1.047s) |
| 10 | Haas (+0.404s) | Ferrari (+0.739s) | Ferrari (+0.370s) | Ferrari (+1.469s) |
Top 10 Sector Times – Driver Breakdown
Both McLaren drivers dominated the timing charts — Oscar Piastri led sectors 1 and 2, while Lando Norris topped sector 3. Piastri’s ideal lap time of 1:09.807 comfortably placed him ahead of the field. Ferrari’s drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, failed to break into the top ten sector times — a reflection of the SF-25’s ongoing struggles in low-grip conditions.
| Position | Sector 1 | Sector 2 | Sector 3 | Ideal Lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piastri – 17.837 | Piastri – 35.733 | Norris – 16.162 | Piastri – 69.807 |
| 2 | Norris (+0.109s) | Norris (+0.134s) | Piastri (+0.075s) | Norris (+0.168s) |
| 3 | Sainz (+0.173s) | Hulkenberg (+0.285s) | Antonelli (+0.081s) | Sainz (+0.653s) |
| 4 | Albon (+0.186s) | Lawson (+0.330s) | Sainz (+0.082s) | Lawson (+0.707s) |
| 5 | Hadjar (+0.233s) | Bortoleto (+0.343s) | Lawson (+0.107s) | Russell (+0.715s) |
| 6 | Alonso (+0.235s) | Russell (+0.376s) | Hulkenberg (+0.173s) | Hulkenberg (+0.723s) |
| 7 | Russell (+0.241s) | Alonso (+0.393s) | Russell (+0.173s) | Alonso (+0.787s) |
| 8 | Verstappen (+0.243s) | Ocon (+0.442s) | Gasly (+0.178s) | Bortoleto (+0.805s) |
| 9 | Gasly (+0.247s) | Hadjar (+0.456s) | Bearman (+0.201s) | Hadjar (+0.827s) |
| 10 | Bortoleto (+0.297s) | Sainz (+0.473s) | Hadjar (+0.213s) | Antonelli (+0.859s) |
Performance Comparison: 2025 vs 2024
Lap time comparisons show that almost every team improved on their 2024 performance — except Ferrari and Haas. Ferrari were notably +0.455s slower than their FP1 benchmark from last year, underlining a disappointing start to the weekend for the Scuderia.
- Sauber: -1.057s
- McLaren: -0.635s
- Aston Martin: -0.609s
- Racing Bulls: -0.594s
- Alpine: -0.535s
- Red Bull: -0.344s
- Williams: -0.269s
- Mercedes: -0.146s
- Haas: +0.101s
- Ferrari: +0.455s
Ferrari’s Early Struggles at Interlagos
For Ferrari, Free Practice 1 at the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix was far from encouraging. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc struggled for traction through the middle and final sectors — key areas where McLaren and Mercedes excelled. The SF-25 lacked stability in the slower corners and appeared drag-limited on the long run to Turn 1.
The Briton completed consistent laps but never featured in the top ten for any sector, while his Maranello teammate’s pace was equally muted. Their combined sector deficits left Ferrari more than a second adrift of the front-running McLaren cars. With qualifying expected to be tight, Ferrari will need major setup adjustments overnight to recover ground on Saturday.
Key Takeaways
- McLaren lead every sector — a sign of both strong balance and power efficiency.
- Ferrari the only team slower than their 2024 FP1 pace (+0.455s).
- Mercedes competitive through Sector 3, showing promise for qualifying runs.
- Sauber the most improved team, over one second faster than last year.
- Ferrari drivers Hamilton & Leclerc must find around one second to challenge the midfield.
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