Lando Norris topped the timesheets in the opening practice session for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix, edging newly crowned World Champion Kimi Antonelli by just 0.082s, with Max Verstappen completing the top three at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

The McLaren driver set a benchmark of 1:11.717 on soft tyres to finish ahead of Antonelli’s Mercedes, with Verstappen a further 0.154s behind. Lewis Hamilton made it four teams inside the top four, the Ferrari driver finishing 0.324s off the pace as the leading contenders enjoyed a closely contested opening hour in Brazil.

The session featured a number of rookie appearances, with six regular drivers stepping aside to fulfil the requirement to give young drivers practice opportunities. Among those taking their places were Leonardo Fornaroli at McLaren, Freddie Slater at Audi, Luke Browning at Williams and Colton Herta at Cadillac.

However, the biggest talking point among the newcomers was home favourite Rafael Câmara, who made his Formula 1 debut for Haas ahead of his planned full-time promotion to the team in 2027. The Brazilian, who has been competing in Formula 2 this season, enjoyed 30 laps of running and finished 18th with a best time of 1:13.696.

There was an early interruption when Slater brought his Audi to a halt, triggering the red flags just 12 minutes into the session. The British driver, who finished runner-up in this year's FIA Formula 3 Championship, reported that the car had switched off, bringing his running to an end after just seven laps. His session was further evidence of an unsettled weekend for the rookie, who had also encountered reliability problems during his appearance in Mexico.

Once running resumed, the drivers began building towards representative lap times, with several experiencing difficulties under braking into Turn 1. Lance Stroll, Alexander Albon, Hamilton and Herta were among those to lock up and run wide during the opening stages.

Antonelli was the first to establish himself at the front, setting a 1:12.789 on medium tyres before improving to 1:12.777. Verstappen subsequently switched to the soft compound and moved ahead with a 1:11.953, although the Red Bull driver was less than satisfied with the behaviour of his car.

"Unacceptable" was his assessment of the downshifts over team radio, while he later reported increasing resistance in the steering, telling the team that the wheel was becoming progressively harder to turn.

Antonelli also encountered difficulties on his first soft-tyre attempt, locking up and running wide at Turn 1. The Mercedes driver recovered to record a 1:11.799, putting him just 0.082s behind Verstappen's initial benchmark. Team-mate George Russell was fourth at that stage, with Hamilton separating the two Mercedes drivers.

Norris then delivered the quickest lap of the session, posting his 1:11.717 with approximately 20 minutes remaining. His effort remained unbeaten to the chequered flag, as teams switched their attention towards longer runs and preparations for the remainder of the weekend.

Russell finished fifth in the second Mercedes, 0.386s off Norris, ahead of Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar in sixth. Russell will carry a five-place grid penalty into Sunday's race following an internal combustion engine change.

Behind the leading six, Alpine rookie Gabriele Minì impressed with seventh place, setting a 1:12.569 to finish ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto's Audi and team-mate Franco Colapinto. Liam Lawson completed the top 10 for Racing Bulls.

Minì was the only rookie to break into the top 10, while Fornaroli finished 11th for McLaren, narrowly ahead of Oliver Bearman in the second Haas. Fernando Alonso was 13th for Aston Martin, followed by Arvid Lindblad and Valtteri Bottas.

Albon ended the session 16th after his running was curtailed by a loss of power steering, which forced the Williams driver to return to the pits with 20 minutes remaining. Browning finished 17th in the second Williams, ahead of Câmara, Stroll and Herta.

Herta's 20th-place finish nevertheless represented an important opportunity for the American, who is seeking to secure the final Super Licence point required to make him eligible for a potential Formula 1 seat with Cadillac in 2027. Dino Beganovic, deputising for Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, was 21st after technical problems restricted him to 11 laps, while Slater completed the classification in 22nd.

2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Free Practice 1
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.717 33 216.300
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:11.799 0.082 32 216.053
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:11.953 0.236 29 215.590
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:12.041 0.324 31 215.327
5 George Russell Mercedes 1:12.103 0.386 30 215.142
6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:12.156 0.439 25 214.984
7 Gabriele Minì Alpine/Mercedes 1:12.569 0.852 28 213.760
8 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:12.614 0.897 30 213.628
9 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:12.654 0.937 34 213.510
10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:12.715 0.998 32 213.331
11 Leonardo Fornaroli McLaren/Mercedes 1:12.833 1.116 28 212.985
12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:12.837 1.120 27 212.974
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:13.017 1.300 26 212.449
14 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:13.038 1.321 32 212.388
15 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:13.371 1.654 16 211.424
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:13.511 1.794 18 211.021
17 Luke Browning Williams/Mercedes 1:13.591 1.874 12 210.792
18 Rafael Câmara Haas/Ferrari 1:13.696 1.979 30 210.491
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:13.760 2.043 28 210.309
20 Colton Herta Cadillac/Ferrari 1:14.275 2.558 31 208.850
21 Dino Beganovic Ferrari 1:14.357 2.640 11 208.620
22 Freddie Slater Audi 1:14.966 3.249 7 206.925