Newly crowned Formula 1 world champion Kimi Antonelli underlined his dominance at the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix, topping the time sheets in the second free practice session at the historic Interlagos circuit. With a blistering lap time of 1:10.763, the young champion proved once again why he has been the driver to beat this season, edging out his closest challengers in a tightly contested afternoon.
While previous years at Interlagos have been defined by the high-stakes drama of the Sprint format, this year’s schedule reverted to a traditional free practice approach. The change allowed teams to focus heavily on data gathering and long-run simulations, though the competitive spirit remained palpable as the drivers pushed the limits of the challenging Brazilian track.
Lando Norris, who had set the pace during the opening session earlier today, finished just behind Antonelli in second place. Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen rounded out the top three, completing a trio of heavyweights separated by only a narrow margin. George Russell followed in fourth, finishing nearly three-tenths of a second off Antonelli’s benchmark, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured the fifth position.
The session was not without its complications. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, finished sixth and seventh respectively. For Leclerc, the session was hindered by a frustrating moment on the main straight where he was impeded by Rafael Camara, resulting in a significant loss of time during his qualifying simulation. Elsewhere, the garage was a site of quiet disappointment for Nico Hulkenberg; Audi mechanics were unable to resolve mechanical issues with his car, forcing the German driver to sit out the entire practice session.
As the clock ticked down to the final 15 minutes, the focus shifted away from outright speed. Teams transitioned to high-fuel, long-run simulations on medium and hard compounds to prepare for Sunday’s race pace, ensuring no further improvements were made to the lap times set during the soft-tyre runs.
The standout performance from Antonelli continues his spectacular run of form as the season nears its conclusion. Despite having already secured the world championship title, the young driver showed no signs of complacency, consistently finding pace where others struggled. With the grid now having logged valuable hours on the Interlagos asphalt, the paddock turns its attention to the remainder of the weekend. If today’s practice is any indication, fans are in for a fierce battle for the podium spots in Sunday’s Grand Prix, with the margins between the top contenders thinner than ever.
Disclaimer: This content is auto-generated for informational purposes only.
Source: Read Original News
