Kevin Magnussen missed the first practice session due to illness, his place was taken by Oliver Bearman. In the only practice session before sprint qualifying, Red Bull struggled, while McLaren was strong.
However, the other drivers also faced a strong challenge, as the Interlagos circuit had been significantly revamped. The lap had not even started when the news came that Max Verstappen would officially receive a penalty in Sunday's race, with the Dutchman being demoted five places on the grid. During the practice session, Max Verstappen and the two Mercedes dominated for a long time, then, in the remaining time, came the soft tyre tests, during which Lando Norris finished in the lead at the last moment, ahead of George Russell and Oliver Bearman.
