Lando Norris delivered a standout performance during the sole practice session of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, topping the timesheets ahead of George Russell and an impressive Ollie Bearman. This marks a crucial moment for Norris, who is still in contention for the drivers’ championship and trails Max Verstappen by 47 points.
The session saw championship leader Verstappen initially set the pace with a time of 1:11.712, despite facing a five-place grid penalty for a power unit change. However, as the session progressed, Russell took the lead with a 1:10.791 on soft tires, holding the top spot for most of the hour. In the final stages, Norris, pushing hard for his championship bid, eclipsed Russell’s time with a 1:10.610 to secure the fastest lap.
Ollie Bearman, standing in for an unwell Kevin Magnussen at Haas, turned heads by taking third place with a lap just 0.195 seconds off Norris. This was Bearman’s third race weekend appearance in 2024, and he demonstrated confidence on the Interlagos circuit, outperforming several seasoned drivers.
Behind Bearman, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Williams’ Alex Albon rounded out the top five. Piastri, continuing his strong form, posted a lap time of 1:10.950, edging out Albon by just 0.005 seconds. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished sixth, with his teammate Carlos Sainz close behind in seventh, while Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly completed the top ten.
Max Verstappen, who opted for medium tires early on, had a low-key session, aborting his soft tire run after a poor second sector. He finished 15th, while his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez struggled, placing 19th in an older chassis, just ahead of Zhou Guanyu in 20th.
With the championship battle heating up and grid penalties looming, the stage is set for an intense weekend at Interlagos.
2024 São Paulo Grand Prix Free Practice 1 Results:
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:10.610 29 219.691
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:10.791 0.181 24 219.129
3 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:10.805 0.195 30 219.086
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:10.950 0.340 30 218.638
5 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:10.955 0.345 28 218.623
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.038 0.428 31 218.367
7 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:11.100 0.490 30 218.177
8 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:11.124 0.514 26 218.103
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:11.215 0.605 26 217.824
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:11.216 0.606 27 217.821
11 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1:11.301 0.691 26 217.562
12 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:11.483 0.873 25 217.008
13 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:11.619 1.009 31 216.596
14 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:11.651 1.041 29 216.499
15 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:11.712 1.102 30 216.315
16 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:11.754 1.144 30 216.188
17 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:11.783 1.173 26 216.101
18 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:11.827 1.217 26 215.968
19 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:11.845 1.235 28 215.914
20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:12.883 2.273 27 212.839
As the São Paulo weekend unfolds, all eyes will be on the grid, with Norris looking to close the gap to Verstappen in the title fight and Bearman aiming to continue his impressive form.
