Mercedes Leads Brazilian Grand Prix Practice at Interlagos
Kimi Antonelli set the pace during Friday’s second practice session at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, clocking a fastest lap of 1:10.763 to lead the field at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver and 2026 world champion outpaced McLaren driver Lando Norris by 0.253 seconds during the 20th round of the Formula 1 season.
Max Verstappen finished third for Red Bull, just 0.006 seconds behind Norris. Mercedes driver George Russell rounded out the top four with a lap of 1:11.036, followed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in fifth place. Lewis Hamilton took sixth for Ferrari, finishing roughly three tenths ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc, who made his first track appearance of the weekend after missing the opening session.
Track Action and Technical Trouble at Interlagos
Cloudy skies and the threat of rain prompted a busy start to the afternoon session, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto leading cars out onto the circuit. Antonelli established the early benchmark using hard tires while multiple drivers struggled with lock-ups at Turn 1. As teams transitioned to soft compound tires, the leading positions shifted rapidly before Antonelli reclaimed the top spot.
Audi faced a persistent technical issue after an earlier problem sidelined rookie Freddie Slater during the opening session. The problem prevented Nico Hülkenberg from setting a lap time during the entire second practice session. Meanwhile, teammate Gabriel Bortoleto secured eighth place for Audi, finishing ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Haas driver Oliver Bearman.
Stewards Investigate Late-Session Incident
With approximately 28 minutes remaining on the clock, race stewards noted a potential impeding incident involving Rafael Câmara and Charles Leclerc for investigation after the conclusion of the session. Following the flurry of performance runs on soft tires, teams shifted their focus toward longer runs, leaving the upper order unchanged before the chequered flag dropped.
Further down the timesheets, Franco Colapinto placed 11th for Alpine, just ahead of Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson. Fernando Alonso finished 15th for Aston Martin, while Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon placed 17th and 19th respectively. Cadillac drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas rounded out the classified runners in 20th and 21st places.
Kimi Antonelli Sets Fastest Lap Time During Practice
When did Kimi Antonelli set his fastest lap in FP2?
Antonelli set his benchmark lap of 1:10.763 during the Friday afternoon practice session at the Interlagos circuit.
Who completed the top three positions in Sao Paulo?
Lando Norris claimed second place for McLaren with a time of 1:11.016, while Max Verstappen took third for Red Bull in 1:11.022.
Why did Nico Hülkenberg fail to record a lap time?
Audi spent the session investigating an ongoing technical issue that affected rookie Freddie Slater’s car during the opening practice, leaving Hülkenberg without any track time.