The circuit's penultimate race is in Sao Paulo for the Brazilian Grand Prix, and Lewis Hamilton needs to win at the Interlagos track this weekend if he hopes to retain his world title. The Englishman trails teammate Nico Rosberg by 19 points in the standings, and if the German captures the checkered flag he can clinch his maiden world title. But Hamilton would set the pace in practice, as he looks to grab pole position and prolong his world championship reign.

Hamilton is on a roll having won the last two races in the USA and Mexico.

Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel, would have his issues -- spinning out on the track. The German would finish the day in seventh.

Max Verstappen, who can clinch a top-five spot in the standings with a good showing in the last two races was second in the morning session, but the Red Bull driver ended up sixth in the second training run.

Felipe Massa is competing in his final home Grand Prix before retiring from F1 at the end of the season. The Williams driver finishes fourth in the second session, just behind teammate Valtteri Bottas.

The top two places would go to the Mercedes drivers. Nico Rosberg can seal his maiden F1 drivers' championship title with a victory at the penultimate round of the season in Brazil, but Rosberg's rival for that honour, Hamilton, underlined his determination to push the German all the way. Hamilton ends up three-hundredths-of-a-second faster than Rosberg in the second session.