Brazil – Free Practice 1: Verstappen surprises Vettel and Hamilton

Formula 1 arrives on the legendary Interlagos track for the penultimate round of the 2018 season. While the world driver’s champion is already known, the constructors’ title is still up for grabs and will be contested between Mercedes and Ferrari. The German team is favored in this duel and could be crowned as early as this weekend.

This first free practice session will not take place under the sun. The sky is overcast and the air is cool. The track temperature is only 27 degrees, and there is a 20% chance of rain in the next hour and a half.

The drivers, however, follow the usual procedure by performing an initial control lap at the wheel of their single-seaters. They benefit, as usual for the first 40 minutes of this session, from a set of tires that they will have to return to Pirelli. The Italian manufacturer has chosen to bring its hardest compounds here, namely the Hard, Soft, and Super Soft.

🚥 GREEN LIGHT 🚥

Finally, we’re away! @danielricciardo is comfortably first to head out

Check out live text commentary and timing here> https://t.co/MddmLh2Nm7#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/hr05Bp7LiS

— Formula 1 (@F1) 9 novembre 2018

In this first session, Nicholas Latifi, Antonio Giovinazzi, and Lando Norris replace Sergio Pérez at Force India, Marcus Ericsson at Sauber, and Fernando Alonso at McLaren, respectively.

Kimi Räikkönen is the first to set a time behind the wheel of his Ferrari. The future Sauber driver in 2019 takes the first position with a time of 1.20.666, far from last year’s pole position which was owned by Valtteri Bottas with 1.08.322.

For Daniel Ricciardo, the weekends follow one another and look the same. The Renault engine of his Red Bull was damaged by the fire extinguishers of the track marshals who intervened after his retirement at the last Mexican Grand Prix. The Australian is therefore forced to change power unit in Brazil and will inevitably be penalized on the grid.

While all the drivers have taken to the track, at least for a lap before returning to the pits, the Mercedes are still awaited. Lewis Hamilton gets ready and puts on his helmet, which features the five stars representing his five world titles.

Fresh lid for @LewisHamilton… count the stars 🔎

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/NsppadLKUG

— Formula 1 (@F1) 9 novembre 2018

After half an hour of the session, lap times start to fall and Räikkönen is once again the fastest with a time of 1:10.086 on Super soft tires, ahead of Ricciardo and his Red Bull. The two Mercedes are in ambush positions in 4th and 7th places, Hamilton ahead of Bottas. The latter is overtaken by the two Haas cars of Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, who seem to be quite quick on this track.

In his first flying lap, Max Verstappen, also on super softs, clocked a lap time of 1:10.111, placing him in second position behind Räikkönen. The Red Bulls arrived in Brazil claiming that their car was clearly not the best on this track. However, it seems that the Austrian chassis is comfortable on the Carlos Pace circuit.

Despite some difficulties and understeer in the braking zones, Hamilton nevertheless secures the fastest lap with a 1:09.423. Valtteri Bottas joins him in 3rd place, with the two Mercedes surrounding Max Verstappen, who also improved his time to go under the 1 minute 10 mark. Each of the three men had the advantage in one sector!

FASTEST SECTORS (45/90 MINS)

Max is in a Mercedes sandwich at @InterlagosTrack#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/m9NZLiATlk

— Formula 1 (@F1) 9 novembre 2018

In difficulties in 11th and 12th place, more than a second and a half behind the best time, the two Renault drivers are fighting on track to try to get the best out of their rather unruly chassis on the Brazilian track. Carlos Sainz narrowly avoids going off beyond the curbs.

On the McLaren side, the handling isn’t much more enviable, and Lando Norris ventures off track in turn number 4.

A brief off-track excursion for Interlagos debutant @LandoNorris

All back to green now though 😉#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/BU69KGLVGR

— Formula 1 (@F1) 9 novembre 2018

Pierre Gasly, at the wheel of his Toro Rosso, is very upset with his teammate Brendon Hartley who didn’t move aside quickly enough during his flying lap. A few corners later, he complained again, but about a Force India this time. The Frenchman is fired up during this first session!

In the lead, Sebastian Vettel makes an appearance at the end of the session, for the first time this weekend, by placing second with a time of 1:09.060 on already worn Super softs. He fails to beat the best time, previously reclaimed by Max Verstappen with a surprising 1:09.011, who surprised everyone to ultimately secure the fastest definitive time of this session.

The full standings of FP1:

Max Verstappen picks up where he left off in Mexico – P1!

There’s little to choose between the top three… close weekend coming up? 🤔#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/0kDfzAB2Sr

— Formula 1 (@F1) 9 novembre 2018