Kevin Magnussen missed the first free practice session due to discomfort, and Oliver Bearman took his place. In the only practice session before sprint qualifying, Red Bull performed poorly, while McLaren performed strongly.
But the other drivers also faced a tough challenge, as the Interlagos circuit was undergoing extensive rebuilding. The race had barely begun when news broke that Max Verstappen would officially receive a penalty for Sunday's race, dropping him five places on the grid. Max Verstappen and the two Mercedes dominated practice for a long time before the soft-tire trials began in the remaining time, with Lando Norris taking the lead at the last moment ahead of George Russell and Oliver Bearman.
