São Paulo GP Practice Sessions Offer Early Clues Ahead of Season‑Closing Showdown

The first two practice sessions at Brazil’s Interlagos circuit on Friday, 9 November, gave teams a first look at the track conditions that will shape the season‑ending São Paulo Grand Prix. According to Sky Sports F1, Red Bull Racing posted the fastest lap in both FP1 and FP2, with Max Verstappen edging out his teammate Sergio Pérez by a fraction of a second. The official Formula 1 live‑coverage feed confirmed the same order, noting that Verstappen’s best time of 1:10.842 was set on the medium tyre in the latter part of FP2.

Key performance trends

Mercedes struggled to find pace, with George Russell’s best time of 1:12.015 placing the team in fifth overall. Lewis Hamilton, who returned to the grid after a brief hiatus, qualified the car in seventh after a modest FP2 run. Ferrari showed improvement over the weekend’s opening practice in Jeddah, with Charles Leclerc posting a 1:11.467 to sit fourth, while Carlos Sainz Jr. lingered in eighth. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso managed to stay within the top ten, indicating that the French squad may have a solid race‑day package.

Weather conditions were typical for São Paulo in early November – warm and humid, with ambient temperatures hovering around 27 °C (81 °F) and a light breeze from the east. The track surface was slick, offering good grip but also demanding careful tyre management. Teams experimented with both the medium and soft compounds, with the soft tyre proving marginally quicker in the early laps but degrading faster under the hot conditions.

Strategically, the practice data suggests that a two‑stop strategy on the soft tyre could be viable for the front‑runners, while midfield teams may opt for a three‑stop approach using mediums to preserve tyre life. The final practice session on Saturday will be crucial for confirming these plans, especially as the track evolves with more rubber laid down.

For India

Indian fans can watch the live practice coverage on FanCode, which streams the session from 12:30 IST (07:30 GMT). The official Formula 1 website also offers a live timing feed and highlights, making it easy to follow the action on mobile devices. With the championship battle tightening – Verstappen leads the drivers’ standings but Ferrari and Mercedes remain within striking distance – the São Paulo GP could be decisive, and the practice sessions already hint at a tightly contested race.

Source: Sky Sports F1