The Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend opened with only a single practice session before drivers headed straight into Sprint Qualifying, placing pressure on every lap at the famous Interlagos circuit.
Kiwi eyes were firmly on Liam Lawson in the Racing Bulls entry, with the New Zealander continuing to adapt quickly to the rhythm of his first full Formula 1 season.
His teammate, Isack Hadjar, also featured strongly across the sessions, delivering an especially notable Sprint Qualifying performance.
Practice:
With just one hour of practice on Friday morning, teams wasted no time sending all 20 cars out on the hard tyres. It did not take long for drama to strike.
Yuki Tsunoda lost control on the exit of Descida do Lago, hitting the barriers and limping back to the pits with front and rear damage. That incident limited Red Bull’s running and immediately put them on the back foot.
Early laps saw George Russell and Max Verstappen briefly trade fastest times as drivers adjusted to the twisty, traffic-prone layout of Interlagos. Several were held up in the middle sector, including Lawson, Hadjar, Norris and Russell, as the flow of the session constantly changed.
Once the field moved to the medium and soft compounds, the times tumbled. McLaren looked immediately strong, with Lando Norris clocking a 1:09.975 to finish the session fastest.
Teammate Oscar Piastri followed within a few hundredths as their championship fight continues to intensify.
Kick Sauber impressed as Nico Hulkenberg took third, with home favourite Gabriel Bortoleto also strong in fifth. Fernando Alonso slotted into fourth for Aston Martin.
Lawson completed the session in P11, just behind Hadjar in P9, after navigating heavy traffic during his quick runs. The Kiwi’s pace suggested there was more to come, especially with the field closely bunched through the midfield pack.
Ferrari endured a difficult first session, keeping both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton on hard tyres throughout. Hamilton also spun in the closing minutes, with both Ferraris finishing down in P18 and P19 ahead of only Tsunoda.
Sprint Qualifying:
Later in the afternoon, Sprint Qualifying set the grid for Saturday’s Sprint race.
All drivers began SQ1 on mediums, and the track remained dry under bright skies. Norris immediately carried over his practice form, leading Piastri and Russell after the initial runs.
The fight to escape the drop zone became frantic in the final minutes, with the midfield separated by tiny margins. Lawson was in the elimination zone late in the session and improved, but not by enough to reach the top fifteen.
He ended SQ1 in P17, ahead of Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon, while Carlos Sainz surprisingly finished last after a lock-up on his final push lap.
“The car has been very quick today; however, we didn’t complete a second lap in SQ1,” said Lawson
“We came out of the garage for the second run, and everyone was slowing down at the pit exit, meaning I ran out of time. Well, of course, we’ll review what happened and learn from it as a team; however, it’s going to be tough starting so far behind.
“That being said, it’s important to take the positives from having a quick car ahead of Qualifying tomorrow.”
SQ1 Knockouts: Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz
The second phase saw Alonso briefly take control, with a 1:09.330 placing the Aston Martin driver ahead of Norris and Piastri. Ferrari again faced problems as Hamilton missed the chance to set a final flying lap due to timing and was eliminated.
A yellow flag caused by a Leclerc spin also disrupted several drivers’ plans. Hamilton faced an investigation for a possible yellow flag infringement but was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
SQ2 Knockouts: Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Gabriel Bortoleto, Ollie Bearman
The final sprint shootout, SQ3, forced drivers onto soft tyres. Norris set the benchmark early, then improved again to 1:09.243. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli came closest, finishing just 0.097s short of pole. Piastri settled for third, while Russell secured fourth for Mercedes.
Hadjar completed a standout performance for Racing Bulls, qualifying in P9 for the Sprint, placing him inside the top ten for Saturday’s first competitive session of the weekend.
Lawson will start the Sprint further back but has shown stronger long-run form in recent events, giving him opportunities to move forward.
Looking ahead
Saturday’s Sprint race will offer Lawson his first real opportunity of the weekend to move forward.
The Kiwi has shown consistently strong race craft this season, and Interlagos has historically rewarded confident overtaking. Hadjar’s top-ten start also gives Racing Bulls a solid base to chase points.
McLaren holds the early momentum, though Mercedes appears close and Aston Martin looks stronger than in recent rounds. Ferrari and Red Bull both head into Saturday needing to reset.
The Sprint takes place tomorrow at 3:00am, with Grand Prix qualifying to follow at 7:00am. The Brazilian Grand Prix itself begins Monday morning at 6:00am (NZT).
Header Image: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool
