Norris Dominates the Only Practice in São Paulo as Tsunoda Hits the Wall

Sports

Lando Norris set the pace in the only practice session ahead of the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix, delivering another statement of intent in his title fight. The McLaren driver clocked a fastest lap of 1:10.610, finishing 0.181 seconds clear of George Russell’s Mercedes, while Oliver Bearman impressed with a strong third place finish for Haas.

Russell looked confident throughout the session as Mercedes continued to show strong form, while Bearman’s result turned heads as he maximized Haas’s limited track time. Championship contenders Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen both focused on longer runs rather than outright speed, ending the session outside the top three.

Drama unfolded late in the session when Yuki Tsunoda clipped the wall, briefly interrupting proceedings and leaving his RB mechanics with overnight repairs. With only one hour of running before qualifying, teams had little room for error as they balanced setup work and tire evaluation.

McLaren’s strong start reinforces their current momentum in both championships, with Norris appearing in complete control heading into the next challenge. Sprint qualifying is set to take place tonight at 11:30 PM Maldives time, where grid positions for the sprint race will be decided under the São Paulo lights.