Norris leads São Paulo FP1 in upgraded McLaren

Lando Norris put an upgraded McLaren fastest in first practice for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, beating Andrea Kimi Antonelli by 0.082 seconds.

Norris set a best lap of 1:11.717, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen third, 0.236 seconds behind. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished fourth.

George Russell took fifth, 0.053 seconds ahead of Red Bull Racing's Isack Hadjar in sixth. Gabriel Bortoleto finished eighth, followed by Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson.

Freddie Slater's Audi stopped on track and caused a red flag, with the session resuming with 40 minutes remaining. Alexander Albon then stopped with just under 20 minutes left, requiring another red-flag intervention to clear his car.

“Unacceptable, man. Unacceptable, these downshifts. What the ****?” Red Bull driver Verstappen said on team radio. “There’s something wrong with my steering. It’s getting harder and harder to turn the wheel,” he said later.

Alpine's Gabriele Mini was the fastest rookie in seventh, recording a 1:12.569 lap to finish 0.085 seconds ahead of team-mate Colapinto. Leonardo Fornaroli was the second-fastest rookie, taking 11th in Oscar Piastri's McLaren, 1.116 seconds slower than Norris.

Rafael Camara made his Haas debut at his home race and finished 18th, nearly nine tenths slower than team-mate Oliver Bearman. Camara was the Formula 2 championship leader.

Crash.net reports that McLaren's MCL40 upgrade included floor changes, an updated rear wing and a new front-wing concept intended for use in 2027.

Antonelli had secured the 2026 world championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix a few days earlier. São Paulo is round 20 of the season.