The first free practice session of the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix has concluded, offering the only chance this weekend for teams to collect crucial data before heading straight into the Sprint Qualifying. McLaren arrived in strong form, while Ferrari adopted a unique strategy, and Red Bull struggled to find consistent pace.
First 30 minutes
The session started with a slight delay due to a dirty track, but teams quickly got to work, aiming to gather as much information as possible during the single hour of running. Early on, the slippery surface caused Yuki Tsunoda to hit the wall exiting turn 4, damaging only his front wing. All drivers began on hard tires, with Lando Norris topping the times early.
George Russell immediately impressed, setting the fastest time of 1:11.188 just 15 minutes in, ahead of Max Verstappen. Most drivers then returned to the pits for setup adjustments. Lewis Hamilton remained on track longer than other top drivers to refine his feeling on a circuit that suits his style, eventually closing to within three-tenths of Russell. Carlos Sainz also showed strong pace, finishing third in this phase, nearly three-tenths off the top.
Final 30 minutes
When the session resumed, most drivers focused on short race simulations rather than outright lap times. Oscar Piastri, still on hard tires, continued to push and came within two-tenths of Russell’s benchmark. Tsunoda returned to the track on red tires after his earlier incident, finishing tenth, almost six-tenths behind Russell.
Scuderia Ferrari’s race simulation was notable for consistency but produced lap times close to competitors, making it difficult to assess true pace. For Sprint qualifying simulations, teams switched to yellow tires, which are expected to dominate the session later in the day. Oscar Piastri set an impressive 1:10.193, just 0.278 seconds ahead of Norris, but later improved to 1:09.998, reclaiming the top spot by a margin of 0.261 seconds.
Ferrari took an unusual approach, continuing with hard tires without attempting a qualifying simulation. Max Verstappen tried a flying lap on red tires but aborted after a tricky second sector. In the final moments, Norris edged back to first by only 0.023 seconds, while Hamilton spun in sector two, ending his run prematurely.
The stage is now set for the Sprint Qualifying at 19:30 local time, where McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are expected to battle at the front, but Ferrari’s unpredictable strategy and Max Verstappen’s potential pace remain key wildcards in what promises to be an exciting São Paulo showdown.
Leave a Reply