The 2025 6 Hours of São Paulo weekend kicked off at Interlagos with the first two Free Practice sessions, providing an initial picture of the competitive hierarchy. These sessions, held under clear skies and with stable temperatures, proceeded without significant incidents, although both FP1 and FP2 saw slight delays in the green light compared to the original schedule.
Weather conditions remained stable throughout the day, offering moderate temperatures that could benefit tire wear management on a notoriously demanding track like Interlagos. This could prove advantageous for teams running Michelin tires over longer stints.
Porsche Dominates Free Practice – Ferrari and Toyota Off the Pace
What emerged clearly after the second practice session is Porsche’s commanding performance. The factory-entered Porsche 963 LMDh cars, run by Team Penske, topped the timesheets in both FP1 and FP2. However, beyond the outright lap times, it was their long-run pace with heavy fuel loads that truly impressed.
While other teams were struggling to lap in the low 1:26s, both Porsche 963s comfortably dipped into the 1:25.5 range during long stints. This dominant pace gap echoed the kind of advantage Ferrari had earlier in Qatar, making the German manufacturer the early favorite heading into qualifying and race day.
Ferrari and Toyota, by contrast, faced major difficulties. After a brief flash from the Ferrari #50 in FP1, the Scuderia’s performance dropped significantly in FP2. A heavily restrictive Balance of Performance (BoP) appears to be hindering the 499P’s potential. Toyota faced a similar issue, continuing to struggle under BoP constraints that have limited their performance since the start of the season. The GR010 Hybrids were unable to match Porsche’s pace and ran similar lap times to Ferrari.
Ferrari had already anticipated a defensive weekend, but Toyota was expected to be more competitive at a track where they dominated in 2024. Now, both teams are at risk of missing out on Hyperpole, which would significantly hamper their race chances on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously challenging.
BMW and Cadillac Show Promise – Aston Martin the Surprise
Behind the dominant Porsche cars, BMW (Team WRT) and Cadillac (Team Hertz Jota) emerged as credible challengers, at least over a single lap. In both practice sessions, they stayed within two-tenths of Porsche, making them contenders for top qualifying positions.
However, their long-run pace told a different story. Both BMW and Cadillac appeared unable to consistently dip below the 1:26 mark, bringing them closer to Ferrari and Toyota in overall race pace. While competitive on paper, they may struggle to keep up over full stints.
The real surprise of the day came from the two Aston Martin Valkyrie entries. During the middle stages of FP2, they were the only non-Porsche cars able to clock multiple laps in the high 1:25 range. Unlike Cadillac, which only hit that pace in isolated laps, Aston Martin managed consistent performance across several laps.
Track Characteristics and BoP Play into Aston Martin’s Hands
The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro’s strong performance seems tied to its excellent power-to-weight ratio, especially above and below 250 km/h. While other circuits have seen the car struggle despite this technical advantage, Interlagos’ layout and conditions may be suiting Aston Martin better.
This performance once again raises questions about the FIA’s Balance of Performance system. Similar to what occurred in Qatar, Interlagos is proving to be a track where current BoP settings may not be optimally calibrated, leading to unexpected gaps between manufacturers.
Tire Wear and New Asphalt Create Uncertainty
One unknown factor heading into qualifying and the race is tire degradation. In 2024, Toyota’s ability to run the entire 6-hour race on medium Michelin tires was a key to their victory, while rivals had to use the harder compound. This year, with fresh asphalt and lower temperatures, all teams may attempt a similar strategy.
However, there is still no clear data on tire wear from the first two practice sessions. This makes it difficult to predict whether Porsche can sustain its pace or if Ferrari and Toyota may have something in reserve when it comes to tire management.
Another wildcard is how the new asphalt will evolve over the weekend. According to Porsche driver Kevin Estre, the repaving has smoothed out the bumps while retaining grip levels comparable to 2024. As more rubber is laid down, grip should improve further, potentially changing performance levels across the field.
All eyes are now on FP3 to confirm whether the patterns seen in the first two sessions hold true, or if any teams can unlock more performance through setup changes. For now, Porsche appears untouchable, Ferrari and Toyota are on the back foot, and Aston Martin has emerged as a dark horse in the fight for midfield supremacy.
