The Brazilian Grand Prix, the 21st round of the Formula 1 championship, will get underway this Friday with the only free practice session of the weekend and the sprint race qualification. The Grand Prix, held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known as Interlagos, arrives at a crucial point in the championship, with only four races remaining. The free practice session will take place from 11:30 to 12:30 local time (Argentina). This will be the only practice session available to the drivers, as a sprint race is scheduled for this weekend. The sprint race qualification will take place just a few hours after the practice session, starting at 15:30. The action in São Paulo will continue on Saturday with the sprint race, scheduled for 11:00 AM, followed by the main race qualification at 3:00 PM. Finally, the main race for the Brazilian Grand Prix will be on Sunday at 2:00 PM. In terms of the title fight, British driver Lando Norris (McLaren) took the championship lead after his victory at the Mexican Grand Prix, allowing him to overtake his teammate, Australian Oscar Piastri, by just one point. However, the McLaren drivers are not the only ones competing for top positions at the end of the year. Dutch four-time champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) has been managing with a car that was clearly inferior for most of the season and is only 36 points behind Norris. A key factor could be the rain, which is often present during this Grand Prix and could tip the scales in Verstappen's favor, as he is a specialist in these conditions. In any case, he has shown great consistency in recent Grands Prix, keeping pace with his teammate, Frenchman Pierre Gasly. After a start to the year with several accidents, Colapinto managed to improve his image and is said to have convinced Italian Flavio Briatore, the head of Alpine, making his confirmation to continue with the team for 2026 imminent.
