Free Practice 1 Results - 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Free Practice session number one for the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend has been won by Ferrari F1 drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

The first practice session is the only practice session drivers and teams will get during this year's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos Circuit.

The main concern for everybody is the race, so all 20 drivers on the grid started the practice session on the hard compound tires.

Fernando Alonso was the driver to achieve the fastest lap time on the Hard tires, putting 1:12.615 on board in front of the second-fastest driver on the hard compound - Max Verstappen.

Entry into the pits has proved tricky for multiple drivers. Oscar Piastri, for example, locked up going into the pits while he tried to slow his car down before the pit lane line.

Haas team decided not to use the medium compound tires, which is expected to be essential for them in the Sprint race on Saturday and the race on Sunday.

This goes to show how teams strategically prepare their tires for the weekend already on Friday. One of the Haas drivers - Nico Hulkenberg, collided with Lando Norris in the last corner.

Hulkenberg did not have too much luck this session as he later lost power after going over the curb in turn 4, damaging the floor of his car.

Faster going, Norris tried to overtake Hulkenberg, who seemed to have turned into him. Thankfully, nothing happened, and both cars could continue.

McLaren drivers went on the track on soft and medium compound tires at one point and set purple times in the first and second sectors.

However, both Norris and Oscar Piastri decided to abort their fast laps and went into the pitlane in the last sector as if the McLaren team did not want to reveal their pace.

Logan Sargeant had a problem with the rear suspension that caused the lifting of his front wheel going into the corners. As a result, F1 fans could observe Sargeant taking corners on three wheels.

After backing off from his lap, Esteban Ocon impeded Pierre Gasly on his fast lap, who clearly didn't like it and complained on his team radio.

All in all, it is hard to estimate which teams will perform the best as we don't know how much fuel different teams and cars were running.

All dry-weather tire compounds have been used. The best in the end were the Ferrari drivers on soft compound tires, who topped the charts a few minutes before the end of the session.

One more driver who probably won't be complaining is George Russell in the third place just 0.133 seconds behind Leclerc, but on medium tire compound.