Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) a été le plus rapide de la 1re séance d’essais libres au Brésil. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) a devancé Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) au 2e rang. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) est 4e. On retrouve ensuite les Williams et les Force India. Les Ferrari sont les dernières du top 10.
| Pos | Pilote | Temps | Écart | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:11.895 | 32 | ||
| 2 | 1:11.991 | +0.096s | 29 | |
| 3 | 1:12.125 | +0.230s | 26 | |
| 4 | 1:12.371 | +0.476s | 27 | |
| 5 | 1:13.129 | +1.234s | 36 | |
| 6 | 1:13.289 | +1.394s | 31 | |
| 7 | 1:13.293 | +1.398s | 33 | |
| 8 | 1:13.318 | +1.423s | 33 | |
| 9 | 1:13.567 | +1.672s | 24 | |
| 10 | 1:13.569 | +1.674s | 26 | |
| 11 | 1:13.711 | +1.816s | 22 | |
| 12 | 1:14.090 | +2.195s | 15 | |
| 13 | 1:14.252 | +2.357s | 27 | |
| 14 | 1:14.296 | +2.401s | 26 | |
| 15 | 1:14.507 | +2.612s | 25 | |
| 16 | 1:14.631 | +2.736s | 21 | |
| 17 | 1:14.654 | +2.759s | 23 | |
| 18 | 1:14.827 | +2.932s | 30 | |
| 19 | 1:14.908 | +3.013s | 32 | |
| 20 | 1:14.948 | +3.053s | 32 | |
| 21 | 1:15.391 | +3.496s | 27 | |
| 22 | 1:15.800 | +3.905s | 10 |