Ferrari made a difficult start to the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, with Lewis Hamilton losing valuable time in the middle sector during FP1 as McLaren and Lando Norris set the pace at Interlagos. The British driver struggled to match the speed of the leading contenders, while a final-corner mistake and technical problems affecting Dino Beganovic’s car added to Ferrari’s challenges in the opening practice session.
Unlike the encouraging start Ferrari enjoyed in Mexico, the SF-26 immediately appeared to have work to do in São Paulo. McLaren, Mercedes and Max Verstappen emerged as the main contenders in what otherwise looks like a closely matched leading group, although Ferrari’s deficit does not appear impossible to overcome. Meanwhile, the race simulations revealed considerable tyre degradation, suggesting that managing performance over longer stints could be particularly important throughout the weekend.
Brazilian GP FP1 analysis: McLaren dominates the crucial middle sector
Lando Norris finished the opening free practice session at the top of the timesheets, giving McLaren an encouraging start to the Brazilian Grand Prix. The British driver was the last to begin his qualifying simulation, albeit by only a few minutes, benefiting from slightly better track conditions than his rivals.
Nevertheless, the performance of the MCL40 was particularly impressive in the middle sector, where Lando Norris gained almost two tenths of a second over the opposition. This section of Interlagos features predominantly medium- and low-speed corners, making it especially important for overall lap time and tyre management.
McLaren’s advantage through this technical section suggests that the car was particularly effective in an area where maintaining grip and controlling tyre temperatures are crucial to performance. However, the evolving track conditions also need to be considered when comparing the fastest laps.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli impresses in final sector as Mercedes shows strong speed
Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished less than a tenth of a second behind Lando Norris, confirming Mercedes’ competitiveness during the opening session. The reigning Formula 1 world champion was particularly impressive in the final sector, where he recorded the fastest time.
That performance highlighted the Mercedes car’s strong top speed, but also its excellent traction out of the final corner. Effective management of rear tyre temperatures appeared to play an important role in allowing Andrea Kimi Antonelli to accelerate strongly onto the main straight.
Max Verstappen completed the top three, approximately two tenths behind Lando Norris. However, the Dutch driver’s deficit was influenced by track conditions, as he completed his fastest lap considerably earlier than his closest rivals.
With the circuit continuing to improve as the session progressed, the final classification does not necessarily provide a complete picture of the relative performance of McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull.
Ferrari FP1 struggles: Lewis Hamilton loses two tenths and makes final-corner mistake
For Ferrari, the opening session was considerably less encouraging. Lewis Hamilton lost approximately two tenths of a second in the middle sector alone, an area where McLaren demonstrated a clear advantage.
The seven-time world champion then made a small mistake on the exit of the final corner, compromising his acceleration and costing time along the entire finishing straight.
That error could be a symptom of overheating rear tyres, potentially linked to a car balance that still requires adjustment. If the rear tyres are operating outside their ideal temperature window, maintaining traction through the final corner becomes more difficult, particularly when the driver needs to accelerate aggressively onto the straight.
The situation adds context to Lewis Hamilton’s tyre concerns and Ferrari’s FP1 programme changes, with the team needing to understand how its car behaves across different conditions.
Ferrari’s session was further complicated by technical problems affecting Dino Beganovic’s car. The difficulties restricted the team’s ability to gather data, reducing the information available for evaluating the SF-26 and preparing its setup for the remainder of the weekend.
The technical setback that interrupted Dino Beganovic’s flying lap therefore represented another complication in an opening session that had already exposed areas requiring improvement.
Tyre degradation emerges as a major factor for the Brazilian Grand Prix
Despite the differences in the final classification, each driver completed only one qualifying simulation during FP1. The teams instead devoted much of the session to race simulations, gathering information about tyre behaviour and performance over longer runs.
The progressive increase in lap times pointed towards significant thermal tyre degradation, making temperature management one of the potentially decisive factors for the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend.
Choosing which compounds to use during the race could also prove particularly important. Red Bull and Ferrari have already used one of their two available sets of hard tyres, while McLaren and Mercedes have each used a set of mediums.
These decisions could influence the tyre options available later in the weekend, especially if degradation remains high during the remaining practice sessions.
Brazilian GP FP1 long runs: Norris fastest as Ferrari matches Mercedes and Red Bull
Lando Norris was also the quickest driver during the long-run simulations. McLaren recorded lap times more than a second faster than its closest rivals, although this substantial advantage probably indicates that the British driver was running with a lower fuel load.
The Brazilian GP FP1 long-run comparison between Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton highlights the sizeable difference in their recorded pace, while also underlining the importance of accounting for different practice programmes.
Max Verstappen, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton all completed their race simulations on soft tyres, recording closely matched lap times. George Russell held a slight advantage over the other two, but the differences were relatively small compared with the gap to Lando Norris.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, completed his simulation on a particularly worn set of medium tyres. The Mercedes driver was consequently the slowest among the leading contenders, although the different compound and tyre age make a direct comparison with the soft-tyre runners less representative.
The progression of individual laps, differences between compounds and observed stint performance can be examined through the F1 Practice & Long-Run Analysis tool, which provides additional context for evaluating the teams’ practice performance.
Can Ferrari recover? No clear favourite emerges after FP1 at Interlagos
Although McLaren produced the strongest overall impression during the opening session, the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend does not yet have an obvious favourite.
Lando Norris demonstrated impressive speed in the middle sector and during the longer runs, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli showed that Mercedes remains highly competitive, particularly in the final part of the lap. Max Verstappen also remains firmly in contention, especially considering the earlier timing of his qualifying simulation.
Ferrari, meanwhile, faces a more demanding task after its difficult start. Lewis Hamilton’s middle-sector deficit, the possible rear tyre temperature issues and the technical problems affecting Dino Beganovic all represent areas that require attention.
However, the gaps remain manageable, and the differing fuel loads and tyre programmes make it premature to establish a definitive competitive order. Much will depend on how effectively the teams analyse their data and refine their cars before the remaining sessions.
With tyre degradation emerging as a potentially decisive factor, the ability to maintain consistent performance over a race stint could ultimately matter more than the outright speed demonstrated during the first qualifying simulations. Ferrari still has work to do, but the battle at Interlagos remains open.
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