Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix 2015: Results, Times for Practice and Qualifying

The Brazilian Grand Prix never fails to deliver an exciting spectacle, and 2015's race in Interlagos is likely to be no different, despite Lewis Hamilton having already wrapped up the world title.

The Mercedes driver will be eager to bounce back after he finished second to team-mate Nico Rosberg last time out in Mexico.

His preparations have not been ideal. Hamilton recently revealed that a car crash he was involved in early on Tuesday morning was caused by fatigue after "heavy partying," per BBC Sport.

But the Englishman will undoubtedly still be competitive in Brazil, and he will be looking to break Rosberg's run of four consecutive pole positions in Saturday's qualifying.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel will also be eager to produce a good response after he crashed out of the race in Mexico.

The German is 21 points back from the second-placed Rosberg in the title standings and has only Abu Dhabi to come after the race in Sao Paulo, so he will be looking to gain on his compatriot this weekend.

Read on for the latest updates from Brazil and the full results from the preliminary sessions before Sunday's race.

Q3: Rosberg Claims Pole in Brazilian GP

Silvia Izquierdo/Associated Press

The championship may be decided, but the season most certainly isn't over for Nico Rosberg after he saved his best for last to claim pole position heading into Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Both Silver Arrows were quick out of the blocks in Saturday's final qualifying session, but Rosberg suggested he was perhaps holding back earlier after posting a lap of 1:11.282, according to Formula 1.

It's the fifth pole in succession for Rosberg and the second consecutive year he's poled at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Did the 2015 championship not already belong to his team-mate, one would term it as the stuff titles are made of.

Lewis Hamilton made a valiant charge in his final lap, but couldn't wrest the lead back in his favour after finishing 0.078 seconds off the pace, while Sebastian Vettel surged to claim third with a time of 1:11.804.

Valtteri Bottas also roused interest with a sterling run in the third qualifying session to finish fourth, but a three-place grid penalty means he'll start Sunday's race in seventh.

That means Vettel's Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen will be happy to complete the top-four lineup, while Nico Hulkenberg and Daniil Kvyat with start Sunday in fifth and sixth, respectively. 

Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen struggled to make any moves up the order and will remain in 10th after going round on the softs, the only driver to opt out of using the super-softs in Q3.

Another race, another chance for Rosberg and Hamilton to resume their duel for Formula One supremacy, except Brazil will provide a different test, free of pressure now that the silverware has already been awarded.

Here are Saturday's qualifying results in full, provided by the official Formula 1 website:

POS.	NO.	DRIVER	TEAM	Q1	Q2	Q3	LAPS
1	6	NICO ROSBERG	MERCEDES	1:11.746	1:12.213	1:11.282	12
2	44	LEWIS HAMILTON	MERCEDES	1:11.682	1:11.665	1:11.360	12
3	5	SEBASTIAN VETTEL	FERRARI	1:12.240	1:11.928	1:11.804	16
4	77	VALTTERI BOTTAS	WILLIAMS	1:12.934	1:12.374	1:12.085	18
5	7	KIMI RAIKKONEN	FERRARI	1:12.185	1:12.243	1:12.144	16
6	27	NICO HULKENBERG	FORCE INDIA	1:12.595	1:12.485	1:12.265	18
7	26	DANIIL KVYAT	RED BULL RACING	1:12.730	1:12.527	1:12.322	20
8	19	FELIPE MASSA	WILLIAMS	1:12.980	1:12.858	1:12.415	21
9	3	DANIEL RICCIARDO	RED BULL RACING	1:12.639	1:12.825	1:12.417	17
10	33	MAX VERSTAPPEN	TORO ROSSO	1:12.824	1:12.712	1:12.739	15
11	12	FELIPE NASR	SAUBER	1:13.111	1:12.989		14
12	55	CARLOS SAINZ	TORO ROSSO	1:13.267	1:13.045		15
13	11	SERGIO PEREZ	FORCE INDIA	1:13.140	1:13.147		13
14	9	MARCUS ERICSSON	SAUBER	1:13.346	1:13.233		14
15	8	ROMAIN GROSJEAN	LOTUS	1:13.056	1:13.913		11
16	13	PASTOR MALDONADO	LOTUS	1:13.385			5
17	22	JENSON BUTTON	MCLAREN	1:13.425			6
18	53	ALEXANDER ROSSI	MARUSSIA	1:16.151			6
19	28	WILL STEVENS	MARUSSIA	1:16.283			6
20	14	FERNANDO ALONSO	MCLAREN				2

Q2: Grosjean Spins out to Complete Lotus Loss

MIGUEL SCHINCARIOL/Getty Images

Following Maldonado's failure to make it to Saturday's second qualifying session, Romain Grosjean compounded Lotus' demise after his tyres failed to stand the heat in Q2.

The Frenchman missed out on a place in Q3 alongside Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr, while Hamilton maintained his assault with a fastest time of 1:11.665, per Formula 1.

Sebastian Vettel continued to turn the screw on the Briton, however, and was the only other driver to break the 1:12 mark in Q2, clocking a time of 1:11.928, the third-fastest in qualifying overall.

Rosberg and Raikkonen kept their places in the top four, but there was a considerable leap from Valtteri Bottas, who surged into fifth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg after recording a lap of 1:12.374.

Nasr finished 11th, but as mentioned in the second qualifying session, a flag for an incident involving Felipe Massa could see him drop down the grid later on.

Grosjean's spin at Turn 6 was too much for him to recover from and saw him join Maldonado on the absentee list for Q3, where Hamilton will hope to close out what's been an impressive day so far.

Q1: Alonso and Button Exit in McLaren Misery

Andre Penner/Associated Press

Mercedes' mauling of the competition continued in the first qualifying session as the manufacturer's official Twitter account confirmed Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg rounded fastest to complete a one-two in the times.

Both drivers completed three laps apiece and Hamilton's time of 1:11.682 was less than a tenth of a second faster than his team-mate Rosberg, with Lotus F1 Team providing a complete breakdown of the first qualifying session times.

However, perhaps the biggest story of Q1 came as McLaren's woes continued in the Brazilian heat, with both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso exiting qualifying at the first hurdle.

Having already broken down earlier in the day, Alonso was forced to leave the track once again and work on his tan, per Sky Sports F1, with motor troubles persisting in what's been a terribly unfortunate streak of late.

Ferrari pair Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel kept the pressure on at the top by coming in third and fourth, respectively, while Formula 1 later announced Felipe Nasr could be punished for an incident involving Felipe Massa.

Despite Vettel and Raikkonen's form, Ferrari technical director James Allison conceded his team probably wouldn't be contending for the top of the grid in Brazil, per BBC Sport: "It's unlikely we can challenge for pole. You've always got to have one eye on the sky here at Interlagos."

Pastor Maldonado, Alexander Rossi and Will Stevens joined Button and Alonso on the departure list.

FP3: Hamilton Sets Fastest Time of the Weekend

Andre Penner/Associated Press

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton seized the initiative from team-mate Nico Rosberg in the final practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix, topping the standings and showcasing some encouraging pace ahead of Saturday's qualifying session.

Hamilton and Rosberg were top of the charts in FP1 and FP2, respectively, on Friday. It's the Brit who seems to have the edge going into the sharp end of the race weekend, though, as he seeks to finish what has been a wonderful season in style.

The shortened one-hour stint always makes for some intriguing viewing ahead of qualifying, and it was no surprise to see the Mercedes pair on top of the standings once again.

Hamilton initially went fastest of the two Silver Arrows during his first stint, but the world champion ran into some difficulties during a lap and was temporarily stationary on the circuit. Thankfully, he got his car back into the pits, although it did allow Rosberg an opportunity to take top spot.

After getting back out on the circuit once again on the soft tyre compound, Hamilton blitzed the rest of the field, surging clear of his team-mate to set the fastest time of the weekend. Rosberg also switched to the compound but came up just short of the three-time world champion before the chequered flag.

Ferrari seem set to be second-best once again, with both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen showcasing some solid speed, finishing the session in third and fourth, respectively.

Vettel can still finish second in the standings this season with a strong display here and a flourish at the Abu Dhabi finale. While he will be pleased with his showing during the practice stints, to this point, there's been little to suggest he'll be capable of reeling in the Mercedes', with Rosberg the man he's chasing in the overall classification.

There are a lot of overtaking chances at Interlagos, but qualifying is still vital for those drivers with hopes of a successful weekend. The downhill section through the first few curves can be treacherous on a convoluted track, meaning Hamilton and Rosberg, seeking his fifth pole position in succession, will be going all out in the three qualifying sessions to come.

Here are the session results, courtesy of the Sky Sports F1 broadcast:

Position	Driver	Team	Time
1.	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:12.070
2.	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	+0.123
3.	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	+0.690
4.	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	+1.026
5.	Valtteri Bottas	Williams	+1.265
6.	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India	+1.275
7.	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	+1.367
8.	Sergio Perez	Force India	+1.436
9.	Pastor Maldonado	Lotus	+1.464
10.	Max Verstappen	Toro Rosso	+1.478
11.	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	+1.502
12.	Felipe Massa	Williams	+1.672
13.	Daniil Kvyat	Red Bull	+1.759
14.	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	+1.780
15.	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso	+1.889
16.	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	+2.115
17.	Felipe Nasr	Sauber	+2.218
18.	Jenson Button	McLaren	+2.375
19.	Will Stevens	Marussia	+4.601
20.	Alexander Rossi	Marussia	+4.989

FP2: Rosberg Goes Fastest in Second Practice

Silvia Izquierdo/Associated Press

Nico Rosberg grabbed the plaudits after the first day at Sao Paulo's Interlagos track, going fastest in FP2 at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The German posted a time of 1:12.385 to end 0.458 faster than world champion Lewis Hamilton, who had trouble with his engine settings during the session.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel put in a solid effort, ending third fastest on Friday, but the former champion was almost a full second behind Rosberg's best effort. 

Kimi Raikkonen made it a constructive day for the famous Italian team, posting consistent times in the muggy conditions.

The Ferraris looked in good form when on the medium compound tyres, displaying the balance of their car ahead of Sunday's race.

McLaren's Fernando Alonso succumbed to a myriad of engine problems, and his car set on fire, forcing the Spaniard to lead the machine off the track to safety. Alonso looked crestfallen as he waited away from his vehicle after what has been a hugely disappointing year at the constructor. 

A number of drivers struggled for grip as they found it difficult to warm up their tyre sets in the overcast conditions. 

Rosberg initially went quickest during the middle part of the practice session, but his 1:13.793 was marginally behind Hamilton's efforts from FP1.

Felipe Massa had a better session as he put his car through its paces after a sluggish morning on home soil. He also saw Williams team-mate Valtteri Bottas spin off the track as grip continued to be an issue.

Here are the full results from the session, per Formula1.com:

POS.	NO.	DRIVER	TEAM	TIME	GAP	LAPS
1	6	NICO ROSBERG	MERCEDES	1:12.385		42
2	44	LEWIS HAMILTON	MERCEDES	1:12.843	+0.458s	39
3	5	SEBASTIAN VETTEL	FERRARI	1:13.345	+0.960s	41
4	7	KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN	FERRARI	1:13.500	+1.115s	43
5	3	DANIEL RICCIARDO	RED BULL RACING	1:13.585	+1.200s	39
6	77	VALTTERI BOTTAS	WILLIAMS	1:13.603	+1.218s	37
7	8	ROMAIN GROSJEAN	LOTUS	1:13.634	+1.249s	45
8	27	NICO HULKENBERG	FORCE INDIA	1:13.710	+1.325s	43
9	26	DANIIL KVYAT	RED BULL RACING	1:13.848	+1.463s	40
10	19	FELIPE MASSA	WILLIAMS	1:13.870	+1.485s	42
11	11	SERGIO PEREZ	FORCE INDIA	1:14.056	+1.671s	34
12	13	PASTOR MALDONADO	LOTUS	1:14.124	+1.739s	42
13	12	FELIPE NASR	SAUBER	1:14.134	+1.749s	44
14	33	MAX VERSTAPPEN	TORO ROSSO	1:14.226	+1.841s	35
15	55	CARLOS SAINZ	TORO ROSSO	1:14.326	+1.941s	45
16	22	JENSON BUTTON	MCLAREN	1:14.644	+2.259s	37
17	9	MARCUS ERICSSON	SAUBER	1:14.772	+2.387s	38
18	14	FERNANDO ALONSO	MCLAREN	1:15.129	+2.744s	10
19	28	WILL STEVENS	MARUSSIA	1:16.501	+4.116s	35
20	53	ALEXANDER ROSSI	MARUSSIA	1:16.787	+4.402s	35

FP1: Hamilton Heads Rosberg as Mercedes Dominate

Lars Baron/Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap time in the first practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Friday, with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg over half a second back in second place.

The newly crowned world champion looked fast from the off and produced one particularly quick lap to edge Rosberg as the Mercedes cars dominated the top of the timesheets for much of the session.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was third fastest—a 10th of a second back from Rosberg—while his former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was fourth in the Red Bull.

Fifth-fastest Kimi Raikkonen had a late spin in his running at Turn 4, but he and his car both emerged unscathed. 

In front of his home crowd, Brazilian Felipe Massa had a topsy-turvy time of things, as he slid on numerous occasions and was seemingly struggling for grip in his Williams.

He finished in 17th place after Friday's first session, while Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso were 13th and 16th, respectively, in the McLarens.

Hamilton has won 10 times this season, and he'll be hoping to add an 11th victory in Brazil at a circuit where he has never triumphed.

He has made the ideal start to the weekend, but Rosberg will undoubtedly cause him plenty of problems in the upcoming sessions.

Here are the full results from the session, per Formula1.com:

POS.	NO.	DRIVER	TEAM	TIME	GAP	LAPS
1	44	LEWIS HAMILTON	MERCEDES	1:13.543		28
2	6	NICO ROSBERG	MERCEDES	1:14.062	+0.519s	36
3	5	SEBASTIAN VETTEL	FERRARI	1:14.168	+0.625s	27
4	3	DANIEL RICCIARDO	RED BULL RACING	1:14.449	+0.906s	27
5	7	KIMI RAIKKONEN	FERRARI	1:14.549	+1.006s	20
6	26	DANIIL KVYAT	RED BULL RACING	1:14.696	+1.153s	25
7	77	VALTTERI BOTTAS	WILLIAMS	1:14.886	+1.343s	25
8	33	MAX VERSTAPPEN	TORO ROSSO	1:14.960	+1.417s	38
9	27	NICO HULKENBERG	FORCE INDIA	1:15.174	+1.631s	33
10	13	PASTOR MALDONADO	LOTUS	1:15.192	+1.649s	31
11	55	CARLOS SAINZ	TORO ROSSO	1:15.314	+1.771s	38
12	30	JOLYON PALMER	LOTUS	1:15.352	+1.809s	33
13	22	JENSON BUTTON	MCLAREN	1:15.379	+1.836s	28
14	12	FELIPE NASR	SAUBER	1:15.381	+1.838s	29
15	11	SERGIO PEREZ	FORCE INDIA	1:15.408	+1.865s	32
16	14	FERNANDO ALONSO	MCLAREN	1:15.413	+1.870s	29
17	19	FELIPE MASSA	WILLIAMS	1:15.469	+1.926s	24
18	9	MARCUS ERICSSON	SAUBER	1:15.798	+2.255s	34
19	53	ALEXANDER ROSSI	MARUSSIA	1:17.860	+4.317s	23
20	28	WILL STEVENS	MARUSSIA	1:18.090	+4.547s	22