SAO PAULO, Nov. 11 -- Lewis Hamilton was fastest during both practice sessions for the Brazilian Grand Prix in warm conditions at Interlagos on Friday.
The 31-year-old Briton was 0.23 seconds faster than his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the first session before eclipsing his colleague by just 0.03 seconds in the second.
Rosberg leads Hamilton in the drivers' standings by 19 points with two races remaining in the season.
The German, who is also 31, will secure his first drivers' championship if he wins at Interlagos on Sunday.
"Strategy-wise it won' t be straightforward for the race," Rosberg told reporters. "But, again, it' s meant to get quite a lot colder so we could see something completely different on Sunday."
Hamilton, who has won the past two races, was quietly confident that he is still in the running for what would be his fourth world title.
"It' s been a good day," Hamilton said. "It' s pretty tough out here physically right now with the heat as high as it is. We can be happy with the start we made today."
