Kimi Antonelli was fastest in the second free practice session ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver completed the Interlagos circuit in 1:10.763 minutes, finishing ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
Norris finished second, 0.253 seconds behind, while Verstappen was third, 0.259 seconds off the pace. Mercedes’ other driver, George Russell, was fourth, 0.273 seconds behind Antonelli. Oscar Piastri completed the top five, 0.321 seconds adrift.
Antonelli was the only driver to break the 1:11-minute barrier. The Italian returned to the top spot after finishing second behind Norris in the first practice session. The session took place in cloudy and changeable conditions, with some drivers reporting light drizzle during the running.
Problems for Ferrari and Audi
Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, while his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was seventh. Gabriel Bortoleto was eighth in front of his home crowd, followed by Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman.
Nico Hülkenberg did not set a time in the second practice session. The Audi car remained in the garage because of a technical problem that had emerged earlier in the day. Frederik Slater, who replaced Hülkenberg in the first session, was also sidelined by a failure.
Norris said that “in the second practice session, we had a little more difficulty reaching Mercedes’ level, but the start of the weekend is good”. The Briton won the first session, while McLaren introduced upgrades to its cars for the race in São Paulo.
What’s next
Antonelli began the weekend in Brazil as the new Formula 1 world champion after winning the title five days earlier in Mexico. The third free practice session is scheduled for Saturday, followed later in the day by qualifying, which will determine the starting grid for the race.
Sources: formula1.com, skysports.com