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Wet weather played a major part in last year's race weekend, with rain delaying qualifying until Sunday morning and red flags galore across the track action.

This year, the conditions are mixed once again, which is the norm at Interlagos, but the rain forecasted shouldn't put too much strain on the already packed schedule this time around.

Today's practice and sprint qualifying should be dry (the fans in Brazil certainly look happy), however, tomorrow's sprint race and qualifying will likely be when the rain could arrive.

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Pirelli has opted to go one step harder for this season's Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with the C2 as the hard (two sets), the C3 as the medium (three sets) and the C4 as the soft (eight sets). The green intermediates and blue full wets, which were used during last year's rain-soaked race, have also made the journey as usual. And they will probably be needed, given what the forecast is predicting at Interlagos...

Doug: Spicy take - I think the winner this weekend will take the championship.

Jarleth: I know money talks, but Interlagos should always be the title decider. One of the five Grand Prix that should always be on the calendar. Always look forward to this weekend! Think Oscar or Max will bounce back and the championship will swing again.

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The good thing for Oscar Piastri is, his recent struggles to keep up with his team-mate in Austin and Mexico - he finished fifth in both races - is not a complete mystery to McLaren.

"Part of the struggle the last couple of weekends is what has been working for the majority of the season wasn't working very well," the Australian said on Thursday.

"There's questions on why some differences have popped up in terms of how you drive and stuff like that, but everything is explainable."

Can Piastri get closer to now championship leader Lando Norris this weekend? The gap between the two at the end of 71 laps in Mexico was a whopping 42 seconds, so there's work to do.

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Lando Norris was 34 points behind Oscar Piastri following his DNF - and Piastri's victory - at Zandvoort in August. But a run of podiums coupled with a downturn in fortune for his McLaren team-mate has seen the pendulum swing in his favour. So, what does Norris put his good form down to?

"Mentality has improved, approach has improved, preparation has improved," the Briton said.

"But also consistency. It's not like I've won the last six or seven races, but I've been consistently out there and consistently scoring points.

"That's actually the thing that's given me the biggest boost over the last few weeks."

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Over in the constructors' championship, second place is still in the hands of Ferrari, who claimed another podium finish with Charles Leclerc's runners-up spot at the Mexico City Grand Prix two weeks ago. But just like the drivers' fight, the Italian team are only one point clear of third-placed Mercedes with four remaining.

In the midfield, picking up points in the sprint could be a big help this weekend, as Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, Haas and Sauber all compete for that sixth spot. Just 12 points separate the teams as we near the conclusion of the season.

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The last time Lando Norris was top of the drivers' championship, the Easter Bunny was a week away from paying us all a visit in April. Now, after 15 another rounds of racing, the Briton has regained control of the title race, albeit by a small margin. Norris' has scored four podiums in the past five grands prix, including his win last time out, while Oscar Piastri has only managed one.

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Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist

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Hello folks. There are only four more races left of the 2025 season and the drivers' championship is down to one point between McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris' perfect weekend in Mexico has put him a step ahead of the Australian before this weekend's sprint event at Interlagos.

First (and only) practice gets under way at 14:30 GMT.

Sprint qualifying for tomorrow's 24-lap race starts at 18:30 GMT.

Sitting on the shoulders of Norris and Piastri is Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion has dragged himself back into the title race since the summer break and is only 36 points off Norris' title tally.

The fifth sprint of the campaign - Qatar hosts the final one at the end of the month - offers a total of 33 points for any driver who can triumph in both the short race and Sunday's main grand prix, so it's all to play for this weekend.