Norris fastest at Sao Paulo GP
Lando Norris was fastest in the first free practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, ahead of Kimi Antonelli.
Norris set the quickest time in FP1, 0.082 seconds faster than Antonelli. The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is part of the 2026 Formula One World Championship.
Key takeaways
- Lando Norris fastest in first free practice
- Kimi Antonelli second, 0.082 seconds behind
- Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos
Lando Norris set the fastest time in first free practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos on Friday, November 6, 2026. 799 seconds. 154 seconds off Norris’s pace, while Lewis Hamilton was fourth for Ferrari.
The four drivers represented the four top teams, which Autosport reported were again very close to one another. Norris completed 33 laps, Antonelli 32, and Verstappen 29. Norris’s McLaren carried upgrades for the Brazilian event, with McLaren also revealing updates with an eye on 2027.
Verstappen was unhappy with his RB22, complaining on the radio about downshifts and later reporting that his steering was getting harder to turn. Hefty lock-ups occurred in Turn 1 for veterans and rookies alike.
Rafael Camara, Haas’s 2027 driver and Formula 2 championship leader, made an early Formula 1 debut at home and finished 18th fastest, nearly nine tenths slower than team-mate Oliver Bearman. 085 seconds quicker than Franco Colapinto.
McLaren’s Leonardo Fornaroli was 11th, Williams’ Luke Browning 17th, and Cadillac’s Colton Herta 20th.
Herta’s trouble-free session, apart from a mammoth lock-up into Turn 1, should theoretically mean he collects the final required point for an FIA superlicence, making him eligible for a 2027 F1 seat should Cadillac elect to promote him.
Ferrari’s Dino Beganovic and Audi’s Freddie Slater propped up the classification after technical issues prevented them from setting soft-tyre times and restricted their mileage; they completed 11 and seven laps respectively, with Slater saying “the car has just switched off,” causing a red flag just 12 minutes into the session.
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is the second of three triple-headers of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The championship is recognised by the FIA as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars.
Norris won the 2025 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship with McLaren and has won 13 Grands Prix across eight seasons.
Antonelli won the 2026 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship with Mercedes, becoming the youngest-ever World Drivers’ Champion, and has won nine Grands Prix since his debut in 2025.
The 2025 championship was the 76th running of the Formula 1 World Championship, contested over 24 Grands Prix from March to December. The Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend continues with further practice sessions and qualifying before the main race.
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