1. George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:11.188

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.180

3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.213

4. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.283

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.305

The track is packed with cars, all except one - Yuki Tsunoda. Red Bull are still tinkering with his car as the clock ticks to 28 minutes remaining of this one Sao Paulo practice session.

His team-mate Max Verstappen is out but the Dutchman seems to be struggling slightly around the same spot Tsunoda was. The four-time world champion runs wide but avoids any major issues.

Flow-vis paint is splashed across the rear wing of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari as the Monegasque driver heads out for his latest runs on the hard tyres. Leclerc in fourth is just slightly quicker than team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who sits fifth, at the moment.

Over at Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar asks if everything is OK with Oscar Piastri's eyesight. The Frenchman, like Kimi Antonelli, is not happy with these slow-moving cars.

Image source, Getty Images

Only a few cars remain on track, one of them being the Williams of Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard came away from Mexico with no points after his late retirement but he's just put down an encouraging lap time in this first practice session to go third fastest with a 1:11.471, which is just under three tenths to the Mercedes of George Russell.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton says Formula 1 needs to address what he calls the lack of "transparency and accountability" of race stewards.

The seven-time champion's comments refer to the last race in Mexico City, where Hamilton was among a number of drivers who felt stewards made errors.

This particularly referred to the first corner after the start, where some drivers cut the chicane and were not then asked to surrender the positions gained or penalised.

Hamilton lost a place to Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc in that incident, and was later penalised himself for not giving up an advantage he gained when leaving the track in a battle with Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

He eventually finished eighth, with Leclerc in second and Verstappen third.

"There isn't any clarity and I think that's probably part of the bigger issue. Transparency and accountability. And also the secrecy that the decisions are made in," Hamilton said.

He added: "It's something that definitely needs to be tackled. But that's probably something that needs to be done in the background, I would imagine."

The spin for Yuki Tsunoda is losing the Japanese driver valuable time on track. Red Bull are working hard in the garage but time is ticking away in this sole practice session.

Pierre Gasly now knows he'll be lining up with Franco Colapinto for the 2026 season over at Alpine and the Frenchman puts in a decent lap to go fourth on the board, 0.389 seconds away from George Russell's fastest time.

Carlos Sainz missed the media day yesterday because he was unwell but the Spaniard is in the Williams car today, sitting in seventh place on the timesheets.

Charles Leclerc, who broke a million hearts this week by getting engaged (sob), drops to the third spot, as Max Verstappen clocks a 1:11.368 to move into second.

Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli is on the Mercedes radio to bemoan the Haas of Ollie Bearman and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton going slowly on the Brazilian circuit.

Image source, Getty Images

1. George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:11.542

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.429

3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.447

4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.505

5. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.608

Ian Fergusson
BBC weather forecaster

Latest (Friday morning) forecast guidance issued to teams via the FIA calls for the following session rain risks:

• Friday: FP1 0%; sprint qualifying under 20%
• Saturday: 80% by 9am; into sprint this will have reduced and ultimately to 40% by 12pm; qualifying 40% (a windy day; strong gusts)
• Sunday: Race 40% (a much cooler day)

Lando Norris, championship leader once again, is quickest with a 1:11.796 from George Russell. But the Mercedes man is on another hot lap and he banks a 1:11.542 on his latest attempt to beat the McLaren to the top of the timesheets.

Lando Norris jumps above team-mate Oscar Piastri to go top but Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, has ran into a spot of bother. The Japanese driver goes over the exit kerb and drops his Red Bull at Turn Five, sending him into a spin. Looks like he's picked up some front-wing damage and flat-spotted tyres.

Abbi Pulling
F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

I think Max just has to do what he's best at, which is being consistent and making the most of every opportunity. He's annoyingly good for his competitors. Any situation that is thrown at him, he always gets the maximum of what was achievable. It's his superpower in a sense, whereas the McLarens do make mistakes and throw points away unnecessarily and that will be their downfall.

Kimi Antonelli's first marker is quickly pushed down the order, with Oscar Piastri, now one point behind in the drivers' championship, clocking the fastest time with a 1:12.169 on those C2 hard tyres. The Australian is followed by the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.

Image source, Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto gets to experience the thrill of his home grand prix for the first time this weekend - and be the first Brazilian driver to compete here since 2017 - but like most of the rookies on the grid this year, he hasn't got much experience to fall back on when it comes to the intricacies of Interlagos.

One newbie who has driven here before, though, is Oliver Bearman. The British driver, who secured a brilliant fourth at the Mexico City Grand Prix a fortnight ago, drove for Haas last year in place of Kevin Magnussen, who had to sit out through illness.

Bearman said on Thursday he was "thrown in at the deep end" during his first proper wet race in Sauo Paulo but at least the terrible conditions gave him some vital learnings for when the weather turns ugly.

The hard tyres are bolted on across the field as the sun shines down on this historic Interlagos circuit. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, who finished one place higher than team-mate George Russell in Mexico, gets the opening time on the board with a 1:20.808.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Alpine have retained Franco Colapinto for the 2026 Formula 1 season.

The 22-year-old Argentine's position was in doubt after failing to impress executive adviser Flavio Briatore earlier in the season, but improved performances have secured Colapinto a new contract.

He will partner Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who signed a new multi-year contract in September.

Colapinto said: "I am very grateful to Flavio and the entire team for their belief in me to help drive the team forwards in the future."

He started the season as Alpine reserve but was promoted into a race seat in place of Australian Jack Doohan after six races.

Funding from Latin American sponsors was influential in the decision.

Read the full story here

Now we can go! Drivers, you've only got an hour to get things right (or wrong) before sprint qualifying.

Anees: Don't be surprised if we have a surprise podium like we did last year with Alpine and mix in some rain this will be a lottery for all the teams up and down the grid!

Taylor: Hi BBC. Hope Norris wins the championship. Go on McLaren!

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Hello to commentator Harry Benjamin, F1 Academy champion Abbi Pulling and BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson for this weekend's action, so click the 'listen live' tab at the top of the page to tune in to Sports Extra commentary.

We need to sit tight for a minute or two, as the start of first practice - the only session drivers will get this weekend - has been delayed. The marshals are out on track, sweeping up some debris.