Antonelli Sets the Pace in Sao Paulo Grand Prix Practice

Newly crowned Formula 1 champion Kimi Antonelli topped the second practice session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, clocking 1:10.763 in his Mercedes. He was the only driver to break 71 seconds on Friday and finished about two tenths ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

Norris, last year’s champion, was second in an upgraded McLaren after setting the pace in the first session. He said the updates had brought performance and described the day as positive, though McLaren had more difficulty matching Mercedes in the afternoon. Max Verstappen was third, just ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell, who faces a five-place grid penalty for a new engine. Oscar Piastri was fifth.

Ferrari had a tougher session on short runs: Lewis Hamilton placed sixth and Charles Leclerc seventh. Leclerc returned after missing the first session following a trip to Monaco for the birth of his child. Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto was eighth for Audi. Rafael Câmara, making his F1 debut this weekend with Haas, finished 16th; an encounter with Leclerc on track led to a summons to the stewards. Sergio Pérez was 20th for Cadillac, while Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg recorded no time after reliability trouble.

Friday’s sessions stayed dry despite light drizzle, but rain is forecast for the rest of the weekend. Antonelli said conditions and grip were difficult and that teams would need to adapt. Final practice and qualifying are scheduled for Saturday, with the race on Sunday.