Kimi Antonelli led the field in the second Formula 1 practice session of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend, with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen finishing in the top three.
FP1 featured many rookies from various Formula 1 teams getting a taste of Brazil in F1 machinery. A selection of the normal grid then took to the track for the first time in FP2.
Dark clouds loomed over the circuit, and rain threatened the session as the clock ticked down. Brazil is known for its less-than-ideal weather, producing many wet races over the years.
Antonelli out front
In the opening minutes, the newly crowned World Champion led the field with a 1:11.824s, with the McLarens and Ferraris close behind.
Lando Norris led the McLaren duo, with Max Verstappen in third after the first ten minutes.
Gabriel Bortoleto had a strong showing, shooting up into fourth on hard tyres as he completed a push lap. However, on the other side of the Audi garage, fortunes were the opposite as the team were dismantling Nico Hulkenberg’s car.
Charles Leclerc was down in ninth as fifteen minutes had passed in the session. The Monegasque wasn’t on a push lap; instead, he was taking the time to warm up on the track.
Leclerc was one of the drivers who handed his car over to a rookie for FP1; in his case, it was Dino Beganovic. The Monegasque had just returned from Monaco and welcomed his daughter.
Drivers up and down the field were struggling with their brakes, locking up around the track. It wasn’t an isolated issue; the same happened in FP1 because of the track’s nature and the crosswinds and track temperatures the drivers were dealing with.
As the session hit its halfway point, drivers dipped into the pit lane. Using the lull to change tyres and decide their run plans for the second half of the weekend.
George Russell left the pits and crossed the line in 1:11.036s on the soft tyre, a much more competitive time that put him at the top of the timing sheets.
More top drivers had put on the soft compound and were posting faster times. Verstappen and Norris both crossed the line faster than Russell, but it was futile, as the 2026 World Champion put 0.253s between him and second place.
Close call for Leclerc
Leclerc was in the pit lane making adjustments to his SF-26 while the rest of the top teams were pushing. The Monegasque quickly fitted the soft tyres and went out onto the track. Trying to make the most of the clear conditions as droplets of rain began to fall.
Leclerc was impeded into the final corner by Esteban Ocon’s replacement, Rafa Camara, which left Leclerc in seventh, three tenths behind Hamilton. Camara was due to be investigated after the session.
With just under 20 minutes left in the second practice session, Antonelli led the field. Drivers headed back onto the track, many on medium or hard tyres, for longer, higher-fuel runs rather than qualifying runs.
In the final five minutes, Verstappen came into the pits and got out of his Red Bull. Seemingly ending his session slightly early. Meanwhile, his teammate, Isack Hadjar, was leaving the pits to end the session on track.
With the field mostly on longer runs and not posting competitive lap times, Antonelli held first on the road and in the time sheets. Norris and Verstappen rounded out the top three behind him.
READ MORE: Lando Norris edges out Kimi Antonelli as Rafael Camara makes Haas debut at F1 Sao Paulo GP FP1
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