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Max Verstappen fastest in Brazilian GP practice
Red Bull's Max Verstappen headed Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes in first practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Just 0.096 seconds separated the three drivers around one of the shortest tracks on the calendar.
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was fourth, 0.384secs off his team-mate, ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.
Mercedes can win a fifth consecutive constructors' title on Sunday.
To do so, they simply have to ensure Ferrari do not score 12 more points than them. Hamilton clinched a fifth drivers' title at the last race in Mexico.
'F1 Breakdown: Has Lewis Hamilton had it easy?'
Hamilton is hoping he can bounce back to competitiveness this weekend, after two races in which Mercedes have struggled for pace.
The world champion said Mercedes had not yet got to the bottom of their problems, particularly in Mexico, where the issue in the race was a lack of tyre temperature, which led to excessive tyre damage.
"It is not always the case you find all the solutions," Hamilton said, "so I am confident everyone has worked as hard as they can to rectify it and push forward but it might take this race and even the next race before we fully understand it.
Hamilton has also said he wants to break a run in which he has failed to win another race after clinching the title in seasons in which he became champion early.
Best of the rest were the Haas drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, followed by Sauber's Charles Leclerc and the Force India of Esteban Ocon.
Briton Lando Norris, running in first practice in Fernando Alonso's McLaren in preparation for his debut next season, was 16th fastest.
Regular McLaren racer Stoffel Vandoorne, who Norris is replacing in 2019, was 19th, using the hardest 'medium' tyre, while Norris was on the quicker 'soft' tyre.
Swami
Red Bull's Max Verstappen headed Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes in first practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Just 0.096 seconds separated the three drivers around one of the shortest tracks on the calendar.
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was fourth, 0.384secs off his team-mate, ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.
Mercedes can win a fifth consecutive constructors' title on Sunday.
To do so, they simply have to ensure Ferrari do not score 12 more points than them. Hamilton clinched a fifth drivers' title at the last race in Mexico.
- Brazilian Grand Prix first practice results
- Chequered Flag podcast: Lewis Hamilton special
- Who is the greatest driver of the 21st century?
- Hamilton confident in security at Interlagos
'F1 Breakdown: Has Lewis Hamilton had it easy?'
Hamilton is hoping he can bounce back to competitiveness this weekend, after two races in which Mercedes have struggled for pace.
The world champion said Mercedes had not yet got to the bottom of their problems, particularly in Mexico, where the issue in the race was a lack of tyre temperature, which led to excessive tyre damage.
"It is not always the case you find all the solutions," Hamilton said, "so I am confident everyone has worked as hard as they can to rectify it and push forward but it might take this race and even the next race before we fully understand it.
Hamilton has also said he wants to break a run in which he has failed to win another race after clinching the title in seasons in which he became champion early.
Best of the rest were the Haas drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, followed by Sauber's Charles Leclerc and the Force India of Esteban Ocon.
Briton Lando Norris, running in first practice in Fernando Alonso's McLaren in preparation for his debut next season, was 16th fastest.
Regular McLaren racer Stoffel Vandoorne, who Norris is replacing in 2019, was 19th, using the hardest 'medium' tyre, while Norris was on the quicker 'soft' tyre.
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Brazilian GP: Lewis Hamilton beaten by Valtteri Bottas in practice
Valtteri Bottas led Lewis Hamilton to a Mercedes one-two in second practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Bottas was just 0.003secs quicker than Hamilton, and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was just 0.073secs off the pace in third.
But Ferrari, who still have hopes of wresting the constructors' championship from Mercedes, showed much stronger pace in race trim.
Renault's Nico Hulkenberg had a heavy crash at the tricky Juncao corner.
The tight left-hander is one of the most important bends on the track, as it leads on to the long, uphill pit straight. Hulkenberg ran a little wide and kept his foot down as the car ran off the kerb on to the grass, which pitched him into the wall.
The incident brought out the red flag for six minutes as the wreckage was cleared.
It was the only major incident in the session.
The Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were fourth and fifth, ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, with Haas' Romain Grosjean best of the rest ahead of Sauber's Charles Leclerc.
Japanese Grand Prix and are keen to return to winning ways and to ensure they understand what happened in the previous two races in Austin and, particularly, Mexico.
"The biggest worry was a little screw that came loose and was somewhere between my feet. We found it in the end.
"Tyres were still sort of OK, ours looked pretty bad. But it's Friday, if it's hotter on Sunday - which it is supposed to be - it will be more of a challenge."
Swami
Valtteri Bottas led Lewis Hamilton to a Mercedes one-two in second practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Bottas was just 0.003secs quicker than Hamilton, and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was just 0.073secs off the pace in third.
But Ferrari, who still have hopes of wresting the constructors' championship from Mercedes, showed much stronger pace in race trim.
Renault's Nico Hulkenberg had a heavy crash at the tricky Juncao corner.
The tight left-hander is one of the most important bends on the track, as it leads on to the long, uphill pit straight. Hulkenberg ran a little wide and kept his foot down as the car ran off the kerb on to the grass, which pitched him into the wall.
The incident brought out the red flag for six minutes as the wreckage was cleared.
It was the only major incident in the session.
The Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were fourth and fifth, ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, with Haas' Romain Grosjean best of the rest ahead of Sauber's Charles Leclerc.
Japanese Grand Prix and are keen to return to winning ways and to ensure they understand what happened in the previous two races in Austin and, particularly, Mexico.
- Chequered Flag podcast: Lewis Hamilton special
- Who is the greatest driver of the 21st century?
- Hamilton confident in security at Interlagos
"The biggest worry was a little screw that came loose and was somewhere between my feet. We found it in the end.
"Tyres were still sort of OK, ours looked pretty bad. But it's Friday, if it's hotter on Sunday - which it is supposed to be - it will be more of a challenge."
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Swami
Telly Talk Supreme
Lewis Hamilton takes pole position in Brazil
World champion Lewis Hamilton beat Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel to pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Hamilton was 0.093 seconds clear of his former title rival after a tight, tense battle, with their team-mates Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen next.
Vettel, though, faces an investigation after failing to follow stewards' instructions at the weighbridge.
Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bulls were fifth and sixth, but the Australian has a five-place penalty.
Join Hamilton's title after-party - Brazilian GP preview
Hamilton showed off his new helmet design for Brazil
Hamilton v Sirotkin
Hamilton had his own incident in qualifying, when he narrowly avoided a crash with Williams driver Sergey Sirotkin at the start of second qualifying.
The drivers were all preparing for their first flying laps and Hamilton suddenly saw the Russian coming up behind him at much higher speed approaching Turn 12.
Hamilton moved left to try to get out of the way but Sirotkin was already going that way and had to take avoiding action.
But there has been no sign yet of a stewards' investigation and Sirotkin said he had no problem with the incident.
Hamilton said: "Everyone was on an out-lap - me, Sergey and everyone in front of me. And when you are on an out-lap… Valtteri was ahead of me and he was backing off to get his gap so I had to back off.
"I was making sure I had the gap but then all of a sudden I saw a car coming at high speed and I was like: 'Oh my God. Is that someone coming on a lap?' So I went left, but he was going left.
"But he wasn't on a lap, so I don't know what his thinking was. We all know to keep a gap."
Close call: It was almost disaster for the Mercedes of Hamilton and Williams of Sirotkin
A parting gift for long-suffering Ericsson
Behind the big three, Swede Marcus Ericsson took a career-best seventh place - which will become sixth on the grid with Ricciardo's penalty for using too many engine parts - two races before what is likely the end of his F1 career.
Ericsson has been dropped by Sauber for next season and is to race in Indycars in the US, although he will remain the team's reserve driver.
He beat team-mate Charles Leclerc, who is moving to Ferrari to partner Vettel next season in a swap with Raikkonen, by 0.196secs.
Haas driver Romain Grosjean was ninth, with Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly 10th, benefiting from the latest upgraded Honda engine.
Fernando Alonso's F1 career continues to fade out with a fizzle, McLaren having the slowest car in Brazil and the Spaniard able to put it only 18th.
With team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne last of all, the only car Alonso could beat was the Williams of Lance Stroll.
"The races have been the same from July so there are no surprises," said Alonso. "And in Abu Dhabi it will be my last race, we will put in a lot of emotions and a lot of effort and we will be out in Q1 because there are no miracles from one race to another."
Five years in the making: Ericsson recorded his best ever qualifying position - shortly after being sacked
What they said
"That was a tough qualifying session," Hamilton said. "Ferrari have been incredibly quick this weekend.
"We have done a lot of work to make sure the car is in the best way we could. The last lap wasn't that great so I didn't know that I had pole and I was so grateful when I heard I did.
"I lost it in Turn Eight," said Vettel. "I tried. The first sector was so good."
Swami
World champion Lewis Hamilton beat Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel to pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Hamilton was 0.093 seconds clear of his former title rival after a tight, tense battle, with their team-mates Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen next.
Vettel, though, faces an investigation after failing to follow stewards' instructions at the weighbridge.
Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bulls were fifth and sixth, but the Australian has a five-place penalty.
Join Hamilton's title after-party - Brazilian GP preview
Hamilton showed off his new helmet design for Brazil
Hamilton v Sirotkin
Hamilton had his own incident in qualifying, when he narrowly avoided a crash with Williams driver Sergey Sirotkin at the start of second qualifying.
The drivers were all preparing for their first flying laps and Hamilton suddenly saw the Russian coming up behind him at much higher speed approaching Turn 12.
Hamilton moved left to try to get out of the way but Sirotkin was already going that way and had to take avoiding action.
But there has been no sign yet of a stewards' investigation and Sirotkin said he had no problem with the incident.
Hamilton said: "Everyone was on an out-lap - me, Sergey and everyone in front of me. And when you are on an out-lap… Valtteri was ahead of me and he was backing off to get his gap so I had to back off.
"I was making sure I had the gap but then all of a sudden I saw a car coming at high speed and I was like: 'Oh my God. Is that someone coming on a lap?' So I went left, but he was going left.
"But he wasn't on a lap, so I don't know what his thinking was. We all know to keep a gap."
Close call: It was almost disaster for the Mercedes of Hamilton and Williams of Sirotkin
A parting gift for long-suffering Ericsson
Behind the big three, Swede Marcus Ericsson took a career-best seventh place - which will become sixth on the grid with Ricciardo's penalty for using too many engine parts - two races before what is likely the end of his F1 career.
Ericsson has been dropped by Sauber for next season and is to race in Indycars in the US, although he will remain the team's reserve driver.
He beat team-mate Charles Leclerc, who is moving to Ferrari to partner Vettel next season in a swap with Raikkonen, by 0.196secs.
Haas driver Romain Grosjean was ninth, with Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly 10th, benefiting from the latest upgraded Honda engine.
Fernando Alonso's F1 career continues to fade out with a fizzle, McLaren having the slowest car in Brazil and the Spaniard able to put it only 18th.
With team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne last of all, the only car Alonso could beat was the Williams of Lance Stroll.
"The races have been the same from July so there are no surprises," said Alonso. "And in Abu Dhabi it will be my last race, we will put in a lot of emotions and a lot of effort and we will be out in Q1 because there are no miracles from one race to another."
Five years in the making: Ericsson recorded his best ever qualifying position - shortly after being sacked
What they said
"That was a tough qualifying session," Hamilton said. "Ferrari have been incredibly quick this weekend.
"We have done a lot of work to make sure the car is in the best way we could. The last lap wasn't that great so I didn't know that I had pole and I was so grateful when I heard I did.
"I lost it in Turn Eight," said Vettel. "I tried. The first sector was so good."
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Swami
Telly Talk Supreme
Lewis Hamilton wins after Max Verstappen collides with Esteban Ocon in Brazil
Verstappen was on course for a superb win when Force India's Esteban Ocon left his car on the inside of the Red Bull at the Senna S and pitched it into a spin.
The incident dropped Verstappen back to second place and although he came back at Hamilton he could not quite catch him.
Verstappen remonstrated with Ocon in the driver weighing area afterwards and pushed the Frenchman three times as he expressed his anger at what had happened.
Hamilton's win helped Mercedes secure the constructors' championship.
They never looked like losing that as Ferrari's challenge faded but the race win was another matter.
"Oh, sorry - are you the leader?" Ocon tangles with Verstappen...
...as Hamilton cruises back past having lost the lead to the charging Dutchman just minutes earlier
What was Ocon playing at?
Verstappen had driven superbly from the start, and was quickly up into second place by lap 10 after passing both Ferraris and then Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes in succession, and then holding Hamilton's advantage at about 1.7 seconds.
Hamilton made an early stop for tyres on lap 19, switching on to mediums with the aim of going to the end, but Verstappen stayed out until lap 35.
His pace was so impressive on used super-softs that he almost did enough to rejoin without losing the lead.
In the end, he rejoined 2.5secs behind Hamilton, was on his tail within two laps and passed him on lap 39.
"He [Ocon] was such an idiot he gets taken out while he's being lapped." Say how you really feel, Max...
He looked on course for victory until lap 44, when Ocon, who had not long ago pitted for fresh tyres, caught the Red Bull and was trying to unlap himself.
Ocon went around the outside of Verstappen into Turn One and that meant he was on the inside for the right-hander of Turn Two that follows immediately.
Verstappen's right rear caught Ocon's left front as he turned into the corner, pitching into a spin and into the run-off area.
Verstappen was furious. "What an idiot," he fumed over the radio.
Ocon claimed Verstappen had not left him enough space, but he was handed a 10-second stop-go penalty, the most severe punishment before a disqualification.
'F1 Breakdown: Has Lewis Hamilton had it easy?'
Never give up
Verstappen was 5.7secs behind Hamilton when he got going again and he soon began to inch back towards the leader.
The car was damaged and Red Bull told him that he had lost some downforce around the front of the side-pod area but he kept coming at Hamilton regardless.
Meanwhile, Hamilton was battling problems with his power-unit, which was having drop-outs, as well as worn tyres, Mercedes asking 52 laps of his set of mediums, about their maximum limit.
Verstappen closed and closed but he did not have enough time and crossed the line 1.5secs behind.
Verstappen's engineer said: "I don't know what to say, mate." And the Dutchman turned the air blue over the radio, saying: "I know what to say. I hope I don't find him in the paddock."
In the green room before the podium, Hamilton told Verstappen that Ocon had the right to unlap himself. Verstappen agreed, but added: "But you can't crash." Hamilton responded: "You had more to lose than he did. He had nothing to lose."
Later, Verstappen told the media: "He has the right to unlap himself but still you have to be careful. He has always been an idiot."
In his post-race interview, he said: "You do everything right and then you get taken out when he is being lapped.
"The car was working great but I don't know what to say. I'm happy with second but we should have won."
Vettel was reprimanded after angrily driving off some weighing scales during Saturday's qualifying
Ferrari fading
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen finished third, the red cars unable to challenge for the lead despite what had been perceived as an advantageous strategy.
Raikkonen tracked Bottas in the first stint as the Mercedes hit tyre problems in the first stint but was unable to pass before Bottas stopped on lap 18.
A longer first stint gave Raikkonen a tyre advantage in the second stint, he caught team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who was ordered to let him past but again Raikkonen became stuck behind Bottas.
Eventually, after 10 laps, Raikkonen finally got past, and then Bottas came under pressure from Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo before eventually Mercedes ordered him in for a second stop on lap 59, with 12 to go.
Ricciardo took fourth, ahead of Bottas, with Vettel, who also made a second stop, a struggling sixth.
Driver of the day
Verstappen was outstanding and was on course for one of his best victories when cruelly robbed by Ocon
What happens next?
The curtain comes down on the season in Abu Dhabi in two weeks' time. After wins for three different drivers from three different teams in the last three races, who knows what will happen?
Swami
Verstappen was on course for a superb win when Force India's Esteban Ocon left his car on the inside of the Red Bull at the Senna S and pitched it into a spin.
The incident dropped Verstappen back to second place and although he came back at Hamilton he could not quite catch him.
Verstappen remonstrated with Ocon in the driver weighing area afterwards and pushed the Frenchman three times as he expressed his anger at what had happened.
Hamilton's win helped Mercedes secure the constructors' championship.
They never looked like losing that as Ferrari's challenge faded but the race win was another matter.
"Oh, sorry - are you the leader?" Ocon tangles with Verstappen...
...as Hamilton cruises back past having lost the lead to the charging Dutchman just minutes earlier
What was Ocon playing at?
Verstappen had driven superbly from the start, and was quickly up into second place by lap 10 after passing both Ferraris and then Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes in succession, and then holding Hamilton's advantage at about 1.7 seconds.
Hamilton made an early stop for tyres on lap 19, switching on to mediums with the aim of going to the end, but Verstappen stayed out until lap 35.
His pace was so impressive on used super-softs that he almost did enough to rejoin without losing the lead.
In the end, he rejoined 2.5secs behind Hamilton, was on his tail within two laps and passed him on lap 39.
"He [Ocon] was such an idiot he gets taken out while he's being lapped." Say how you really feel, Max...
He looked on course for victory until lap 44, when Ocon, who had not long ago pitted for fresh tyres, caught the Red Bull and was trying to unlap himself.
Ocon went around the outside of Verstappen into Turn One and that meant he was on the inside for the right-hander of Turn Two that follows immediately.
Verstappen's right rear caught Ocon's left front as he turned into the corner, pitching into a spin and into the run-off area.
Verstappen was furious. "What an idiot," he fumed over the radio.
Ocon claimed Verstappen had not left him enough space, but he was handed a 10-second stop-go penalty, the most severe punishment before a disqualification.
'F1 Breakdown: Has Lewis Hamilton had it easy?'
Never give up
Verstappen was 5.7secs behind Hamilton when he got going again and he soon began to inch back towards the leader.
The car was damaged and Red Bull told him that he had lost some downforce around the front of the side-pod area but he kept coming at Hamilton regardless.
Meanwhile, Hamilton was battling problems with his power-unit, which was having drop-outs, as well as worn tyres, Mercedes asking 52 laps of his set of mediums, about their maximum limit.
Verstappen closed and closed but he did not have enough time and crossed the line 1.5secs behind.
Verstappen's engineer said: "I don't know what to say, mate." And the Dutchman turned the air blue over the radio, saying: "I know what to say. I hope I don't find him in the paddock."
In the green room before the podium, Hamilton told Verstappen that Ocon had the right to unlap himself. Verstappen agreed, but added: "But you can't crash." Hamilton responded: "You had more to lose than he did. He had nothing to lose."
Later, Verstappen told the media: "He has the right to unlap himself but still you have to be careful. He has always been an idiot."
In his post-race interview, he said: "You do everything right and then you get taken out when he is being lapped.
"The car was working great but I don't know what to say. I'm happy with second but we should have won."
Vettel was reprimanded after angrily driving off some weighing scales during Saturday's qualifying
Ferrari fading
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen finished third, the red cars unable to challenge for the lead despite what had been perceived as an advantageous strategy.
Raikkonen tracked Bottas in the first stint as the Mercedes hit tyre problems in the first stint but was unable to pass before Bottas stopped on lap 18.
A longer first stint gave Raikkonen a tyre advantage in the second stint, he caught team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who was ordered to let him past but again Raikkonen became stuck behind Bottas.
Eventually, after 10 laps, Raikkonen finally got past, and then Bottas came under pressure from Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo before eventually Mercedes ordered him in for a second stop on lap 59, with 12 to go.
Ricciardo took fourth, ahead of Bottas, with Vettel, who also made a second stop, a struggling sixth.
Driver of the day
Verstappen was outstanding and was on course for one of his best victories when cruelly robbed by Ocon
What happens next?
The curtain comes down on the season in Abu Dhabi in two weeks' time. After wins for three different drivers from three different teams in the last three races, who knows what will happen?
Swami