Norris tops Brazil first practice in upgraded McLaren — SkimNews
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- Lando Norris topped Sao Paulo Grand Prix first practice at Interlagos, beating Kimi Antonelli by 0.082 seconds in McLaren's upgraded car.
- McLaren brought a new front wing, rear wing, beam wing and floor furniture to Brazil even as most teams focused on their 2027 cars, and the update appears to have made an immediate impact at a point where McLaren have not fought for victory in recent races.
- Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull at 0.236s off the pace, with Lewis Hamilton fourth for Ferrari at 0.324s behind Norris, leaving four different teams in the top four.
- George Russell finished fifth for Mercedes but carries a five-grid-place penalty for a new internal combustion engine, so he will start no higher than sixth in Sunday's race.
- Mercedes can win the Constructors' Championship on Sunday by outscoring Ferrari by three points or more, with already-crowned world champion Antonelli honouring three-time champion Ayrton Senna with a special helmet.
- Colton Herta completed 100km around Interlagos to gain a super licence point, taking him to 40 points — the minimum for full-time F1 eligibility — while Cadillac now have the option to replace Valtteri Bottas, whose future at the team is uncertain after a difficult season.
- Rafael Camara made his Formula 1 debut for Haas, replacing Esteban Ocon — dropped for the remainder of the season after a dispute in Mexico — and finished 18th with a clean session, one of six replacement rookies who ran to meet the mandatory two-session rookie requirement.
Why it matters: Mercedes clinches the Constructors' Championship at Interlagos if it outscores Ferrari by three points or more, with Antonelli already world champion after Mexico, while Norris's 0.082s pace gave McLaren, absent from recent victory fights, the session's fastest car; Russell's five-place grid penalty for a new internal combustion engine limits him to sixth on the Sunday grid.
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