FP2
Kimi Antonelli finished Friday’s running at the 2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix at the top of the timesheets, the Mercedes driver setting the fastest lap of the day to edge out McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Free Practice 2.
With all 22 full-time drivers back in their cars following a first practice session that featured several rookie outings, the second hour of running provided teams with an opportunity to complete their preparations ahead of the remainder of the weekend. However, overcast skies and cooler temperatures continued to influence conditions at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, with occasional light rain threatening to interrupt proceedings.
Pierre Gasly was among the first drivers to venture out, setting an initial benchmark of 1:14.165 on the hard compound. Charles Leclerc subsequently improved on the medium tyres before Antonelli moved to the top with a 1:11.857, bringing the times closer to those recorded during FP1.
There were early concerns for several drivers. Leclerc reported a braking issue, while Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton locked up approaching Turn 1 as he struggled to generate sufficient temperature in his tyres. Isack Hadjar also reported that light drizzle was beginning to fall around the circuit.
Audi, meanwhile, confirmed that Nico Hulkenberg would not participate in the session. The German remained in the garage as the team continued investigating problems that had curtailed Freddie Slater’s running during FP1.
As the field returned to the pits to prepare for the next phase of their programmes, Hadjar took advantage of some clear track on the soft tyres to move into second place, although Antonelli remained comfortably ahead on the hard compound.
The competitive picture changed with approximately 35 minutes remaining when George Russell returned to the circuit and delivered a 1:11.036 to take provisional first place. However, the Mercedes driver was quickly displaced as Norris and Verstappen completed their soft-tyre runs, the pair moving ahead by the narrowest of margins.
Antonelli then produced the quickest lap of the afternoon, becoming the first driver to break into the 1:10s. His 1:10.763 effort established a benchmark that none of his rivals could match, putting him 0.253s clear of Norris, with Verstappen just 0.006s further back.
Russell remained fourth, only 0.020s behind Verstappen, while Oscar Piastri completed the top five for McLaren. The remarkably close margins between the leading four drivers highlighted the competitive balance at the front of the field.
Ferrari endured a less productive session. Hamilton finished sixth, 0.450s off the pace, with Leclerc seventh. The Monegasque driver had been attempting to improve his time when he encountered Haas rookie Rafael Câmara on the main straight, forcing him towards the wall and costing him valuable time. His engineer subsequently confirmed that the obstruction had added approximately two-tenths to his lap.
Home favourite Gabriel Bortoleto delivered eighth for Audi, ahead of Red Bull’s Hadjar and Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who completed the top 10.
Franco Colapinto finished 11th for Alpine, followed by Racing Bulls pair Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, with Gasly 14th. Fernando Alonso took 15th for Aston Martin, ahead of Câmara, who completed his first full day of Grand Prix running in 16th.
Carlos Sainz was 17th for Williams, ahead of Lance Stroll and Alex Albon, while Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas occupied the final two positions among the drivers who completed timed laps.
With the soft-tyre performance runs completed, teams turned their attention towards longer stints to assess tyre behaviour and gather race-pace data. Antonelli retained top spot, giving Mercedes an encouraging start to the São Paulo weekend.
FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Free Practice 1
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:10.763 37 219.216
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.016 0.253 31 218.435
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:11.022 0.259 23 218.416
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:11.036 0.273 35 218.373
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.084 0.321 32 218.226
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:11.213 0.450 35 217.831
7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.483 0.720 33 217.008
8 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:11.780 1.017 33 216.110
9 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:11.839 1.076 33 215.932
10 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:11.991 1.228 36 215.476
11 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:11.996 1.233 33 215.461
12 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:12.008 1.245 36 215.426
13 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:12.042 1.279 36 215.324
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:12.109 1.346 37 215.124
15 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:12.538 1.775 34 213.852
16 Rafael Câmara Haas/Ferrari 1:12.561 1.798 30 213.784
17 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:12.742 1.979 33 213.252
18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:12.942 2.179 31 212.667
19 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:12.953 2.190 37 212.635
20 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:13.316 2.553 34 211.582
21 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:13.383 2.620 33 211.389
Norris leads Antonelli and Verstappen in São Paulo opening practice
Lando Norris topped the timesheets in the opening practice session for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix, edging newly crowned World Champion Kimi Antonelli by just 0.082s, with Max Verstappen completing the top three at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.
The McLaren driver set a benchmark of 1:11.717 on soft tyres to finish ahead of Antonelli’s Mercedes, with Verstappen a further 0.154s behind. Lewis Hamilton made it four teams inside the top four, the Ferrari driver finishing 0.324s off the pace as the leading contenders enjoyed a closely contested opening hour in Brazil.
The session featured a number of rookie appearances, with six regular drivers stepping aside to fulfil the requirement to give young drivers practice opportunities. Among those taking their places were Leonardo Fornaroli at McLaren, Freddie Slater at Audi, Luke Browning at Williams and Colton Herta at Cadillac.
However, the biggest talking point among the newcomers was home favourite Rafael Câmara, who made his Formula 1 debut for Haas ahead of his planned full-time promotion to the team in 2027. The Brazilian, who has been competing in Formula 2 this season, enjoyed 30 laps of running and finished 18th with a best time of 1:13.696.
There was an early interruption when Slater brought his Audi to a halt, triggering the red flags just 12 minutes into the session. The British driver, who finished runner-up in this year's FIA Formula 3 Championship, reported that the car had switched off, bringing his running to an end after just seven laps. His session was further evidence of an unsettled weekend for the rookie, who had also encountered reliability problems during his appearance in Mexico.
Once running resumed, the drivers began building towards representative lap times, with several experiencing difficulties under braking into Turn 1. Lance Stroll, Alexander Albon, Hamilton and Herta were among those to lock up and run wide during the opening stages.
Antonelli was the first to establish himself at the front, setting a 1:12.789 on medium tyres before improving to 1:12.777. Verstappen subsequently switched to the soft compound and moved ahead with a 1:11.953, although the Red Bull driver was less than satisfied with the behaviour of his car.
"Unacceptable" was his assessment of the downshifts over team radio, while he later reported increasing resistance in the steering, telling the team that the wheel was becoming progressively harder to turn.
Antonelli also encountered difficulties on his first soft-tyre attempt, locking up and running wide at Turn 1. The Mercedes driver recovered to record a 1:11.799, putting him just 0.082s behind Verstappen's initial benchmark. Team-mate George Russell was fourth at that stage, with Hamilton separating the two Mercedes drivers.
Norris then delivered the quickest lap of the session, posting his 1:11.717 with approximately 20 minutes remaining. His effort remained unbeaten to the chequered flag, as teams switched their attention towards longer runs and preparations for the remainder of the weekend.
Russell finished fifth in the second Mercedes, 0.386s off Norris, ahead of Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar in sixth. Russell will carry a five-place grid penalty into Sunday's race following an internal combustion engine change.
Behind the leading six, Alpine rookie Gabriele Minì impressed with seventh place, setting a 1:12.569 to finish ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto's Audi and team-mate Franco Colapinto. Liam Lawson completed the top 10 for Racing Bulls.
Minì was the only rookie to break into the top 10, while Fornaroli finished 11th for McLaren, narrowly ahead of Oliver Bearman in the second Haas. Fernando Alonso was 13th for Aston Martin, followed by Arvid Lindblad and Valtteri Bottas.
Albon ended the session 16th after his running was curtailed by a loss of power steering, which forced the Williams driver to return to the pits with 20 minutes remaining. Browning finished 17th in the second Williams, ahead of Câmara, Stroll and Herta.
Herta's 20th-place finish nevertheless represented an important opportunity for the American, who is seeking to secure the final Super Licence point required to make him eligible for a potential Formula 1 seat with Cadillac in 2027. Dino Beganovic, deputising for Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, was 21st after technical problems restricted him to 11 laps, while Slater completed the classification in 22nd.
2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Free Practice 1
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.717 33 216.300
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:11.799 0.082 32 216.053
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:11.953 0.236 29 215.590
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:12.041 0.324 31 215.327
5 George Russell Mercedes 1:12.103 0.386 30 215.142
6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:12.156 0.439 25 214.984
7 Gabriele Minì Alpine/Mercedes 1:12.569 0.852 28 213.760
8 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:12.614 0.897 30 213.628
9 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:12.654 0.937 34 213.510
10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:12.715 0.998 32 213.331
11 Leonardo Fornaroli McLaren/Mercedes 1:12.833 1.116 28 212.985
12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:12.837 1.120 27 212.974
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:13.017 1.300 26 212.449
14 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:13.038 1.321 32 212.388
15 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:13.371 1.654 16 211.424
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:13.511 1.794 18 211.021
17 Luke Browning Williams/Mercedes 1:13.591 1.874 12 210.792
18 Rafael Câmara Haas/Ferrari 1:13.696 1.979 30 210.491
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:13.760 2.043 28 210.309
20 Colton Herta Cadillac/Ferrari 1:14.275 2.558 31 208.850
21 Dino Beganovic Ferrari 1:14.357 2.640 11 208.620
22 Freddie Slater Audi 1:14.966 3.249 7 206.925
