Kimi Antonelli completed Friday practice at the São Paulo Grand Prix with the fastest lap, edging out Lando Norris and Max Verstappen as Ferrari endured a more difficult session at Interlagos.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli set the benchmark in second practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix, recording a 1:10.763 to finish ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The result reversed the order of the top two from FP1, when Norris had led Antonelli. Both drivers remained competitive throughout Friday, while Verstappen once again featured among the frontrunners.
George Russell finished fourth in the second Mercedes, followed by Oscar Piastri in fifth, as the leading three teams occupied the first five positions.
Ferrari, meanwhile, struggled to replicate the Friday form it had demonstrated at the previous two Grands Prix. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished sixth and seventh respectively, with both drivers reporting braking difficulties during the session.
Gabriel Bortoleto produced another encouraging performance for Audi, taking eighth ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who completed the top ten.
Antonelli Takes Control as Conditions Remain Uncertain
The second practice session began with slightly damp conditions at Interlagos, where the threat of rain remained a significant consideration ahead of the rest of the weekend.
Leclerc initially posted a 1:13.2 before Piastri improved to a 1:13.0. Bortoleto then briefly moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:12.436 on hard tyres.
Antonelli soon established himself as the early pace-setter, recording a 1:11.857 on the same compound before improving to a 1:11.824.
Verstappen and Norris also featured prominently during the opening runs, while Hadjar reported light drizzle over the circuit.
As teams switched to soft tyres, the order changed rapidly.
Russell briefly led with a 1:11.036, only for Norris to respond with a 1:11.016 after benefiting from a slipstream behind Antonelli in the final sector.
Verstappen moved within 0.006 seconds of Norris, but Antonelli ultimately secured the fastest time with his 1:10.763.
The Mercedes driver’s lap remained unbeaten as teams shifted their attention towards longer runs and tyre degradation.
Ferrari Encounter Braking Difficulties
Ferrari experienced a less convincing Friday afternoon than it had enjoyed during the previous two race weekends.
Leclerc reported unusual braking behaviour early in FP2, describing the balance as being too heavily biased towards the rear of the car.
Hamilton also complained about braking difficulties after locking up at Turn 1, a corner that caused problems for several drivers throughout the session.
The first corner appeared particularly challenging following the resurfacing work at Interlagos, with a bump under braking contributing to repeated lock-ups.
Hamilton initially moved into the top three during the soft-tyre runs but eventually slipped to sixth, immediately ahead of Leclerc.
The Monegasque also endured a difficult moment when he encountered Haas rookie Rafael Câmara on track.
Leclerc was forced towards the green run-off area and narrowly avoided being pushed towards the barrier. The incident attracted the attention of the stewards, who announced an investigation involving Câmara.
Despite those interruptions, both Ferrari drivers completed the session, although neither could match the pace demonstrated by Mercedes, McLaren and Verstappen.
Audi’s Hülkenberg Misses Entire Session
Audi suffered a significant setback as Nico Hülkenberg was unable to participate in FP2.
The German’s car had already encountered problems during opening practice, when Freddie Slater was driving it as part of the team’s young-driver programme.
Audi subsequently identified an electrical issue that prevented the R26 from starting, although the underlying cause remained unresolved.
The team eventually confirmed that Hülkenberg would not take part in the evening session.
His absence means he will have just one remaining practice session to prepare for qualifying, provided the issue can be resolved.
On the other side of the garage, Bortoleto enjoyed a considerably more productive afternoon.
The Brazilian continued his impressive home weekend by finishing eighth, building on his top-ten result in FP1.
Câmara Completes First Full Day as F1 Driver
Rafael Câmara continued his first official Formula 1 race weekend with Haas, having taken over the seat previously occupied by Esteban Ocon.
Unlike the other young drivers who participated in FP1, Câmara remained in the car for the afternoon session as a full-time race entrant.
The Brazilian ran consistently throughout practice, reaching 15th place during the session and gaining further experience of the VF-26.
His running was not entirely straightforward, however, following the incident involving Leclerc that was referred to the stewards.
Elsewhere, Williams continued to experience difficulties.
Alex Albon locked up at Turn 1 and expressed frustration with the behaviour of his car, insisting that the problems were not simply the result of pushing too hard.
Liam Lawson also complained over the radio after being impeded by a Williams during his running.
Teams Turn Attention to Race Preparation
With the qualifying-style runs completed, teams increasingly focused on longer stints using soft tyres to assess degradation on the Interlagos surface.
Verstappen provided one of the lighter moments of the session when, following an instruction from his race engineer, he jokingly asked whether he should speak directly to his engine before launching into an imaginary conversation with his V6 hybrid power unit.
The Dutchman eventually returned to the garage and appeared to end his session before the chequered flag.
Cloud cover continued to increase as practice progressed, with low clouds approaching the height of the paddock buildings.
Antonelli nevertheless retained his position at the top of the timesheets, ahead of Norris and Verstappen.
Behind the leading ten, Franco Colapinto was followed by the Racing Bulls drivers, Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso and Câmara.
Williams and Cadillac remained towards the lower end of the order.
Mercedes and McLaren Set the Friday Benchmark
Friday’s two sessions produced a closely matched picture at the front, with Norris and Antonelli exchanging first and second places between FP1 and FP2.
Verstappen remained consistently competitive in third, while Russell and Piastri completed a top five separated by relatively small margins.
For Ferrari, the immediate priority will be understanding its braking problems and recovering the performance that has characterised its recent Friday outings.
With further unsettled weather possible over the weekend, teams face another challenge in translating their dry-weather preparations into a competitive qualifying and race package.
For now, Antonelli ends the opening day at Interlagos with the fastest lap, while Mercedes and McLaren have established themselves among the strongest performers ahead of Saturday’s running.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W17 | 1:10.763 | 37 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL40 | 1:11.016 | 31 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull RBPT Ford RB22 | 1:11.022 | 23 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes W17 | 1:11.036 | 35 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL40 | 1:11.084 | 32 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari SF-26 | 1:11.213 | 35 |
| 7 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-26 | 1:11.483 | 33 |
| 8 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi F1 R26 | 1:11.780 | 33 |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull RBPT Ford RB22 | 1:11.839 | 33 |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-26 | 1:11.991 | 36 |
| 11 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Mercedes A526 | 1:11.996 | 33 |
| 12 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford VCARB 03 | 1:12.008 | 36 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford VCARB 03 | 1:12.042 | 36 |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Mercedes A526 | 1:12.109 | 37 |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Honda AMR26 | 1:12.538 | 34 |
| 16 | Rafael Câmara | Haas Ferrari VF-26 | 1:12.561 | 30 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes FW48 | 1:12.742 | 33 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Honda AMR26 | 1:12.942 | 31 |
| 19 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW48 | 1:12.953 | 37 |
| 20 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac Ferrari MAC-26 | 1:13.316 | 34 |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac Ferrari MAC-26 | 1:13.383 | 33 |
| 22 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi F1 R26 | – :—.— | 0 |
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