P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 Results Today: Verstappen way off the pace with Red Bull LAST at Brazilian Grand Prix
Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen struggled early on at the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, lagging behind in pace alongside McLaren’s championship contenders.
The event at Interlagos hosts the penultimate sprint race of the 2025 season. Friday’s opening session provided the sole chance for practice before sprint qualifying later in the day.
During FP1, Yuki Tsunoda spun and hit the barrier, damaging his Red Bull car. Verstappen also faced setup issues, finishing P17, with McLaren’s drivers topping the timesheets.
Verstappen switched to hard tyres near the end of the session but couldn’t improve. The top five included the McLarens, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and local hero Gabriel Bortoleto.
Max Verstappen is the current F1 world champion, having secured his fourth drivers’ championship last year.
Although practice has ended, sprint qualifying at the Brazilian GP is scheduled for later today at 3:30pm local time.
