Kevin Magnussen was forced to miss the first practice session due to illness, and Oliver Bearman took his place. In the only practice session before the sprint, Red Bull had a disappointing performance, while McLaren was strong.
But the other drivers in the field also faced a significant challenge, as the Interlagos circuit had undergone extensive renovations. Barely had the lap begun than the news broke: Max Verstappen would officially be penalized in Sunday's race, with the Dutchman receiving a five-place grid penalty. During the practice session, Max Verstappen and the two Mercedes dominated for a while, then, with the remaining time remaining, attempts on the soft tires arrived, and in the last minute, Lando Norris took the lead ahead of George Russell and Oliver Bearman.
