Marco Rossi · F1 Correspondent
In second practice at Interlagos, world champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli made a statement, while a tight group at the front and a proper Ferrari incident took shape behind him.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli ended second practice for the São Paulo Grand Prix on Friday afternoon as the fastest driver with a time of 1:10.763, 0.253 seconds ahead of Lando Norris and 0.259 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen. For the Mercedes driver it was already his second session since winning the title at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he went into the history books as the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history; his first run as champion had come in first practice on Friday lunchtime. At Interlagos he wore a Senna-design helmet, a tribute to the Brazilian racing legend fitting for a race in Senna's home country.
Five drivers, three tenths: a tightly packed field
Behind Antonelli, four more drivers lined up within 0.321 seconds. Norris was just six thousandths ahead of Verstappen, and Mercedes driver George Russell was in turn only 0.014 seconds behind the Red Bull driver in fourth. Oscar Piastri completed the tightly packed quintet in fifth, 0.048 seconds behind Russell.
At Mercedes, Antonelli had the upper hand over Russell by 0.273 seconds, while at McLaren Norris was 0.068 seconds ahead of Piastri. After first practice, in which Norris had still set the fastest time, the balance of power at the front shifted, without a clear pecking order emerging between the three top teams. That promises a close fight for pole in qualifying on Saturday.
Verstappen battles problems, Bortoleto stands out
Max Verstappen had reportedly complained about problems with downshifts in his Red Bull in first practice, and he came into the pits early towards the end of second practice.
That he still finished just six thousandths behind Norris and held on to third speaks for the fundamental pace of the car on this Friday, even if the technical question marks remain ahead of the weekend.
His team-mate Isack Hadjar had a much harder time, finishing only ninth, 0.817 seconds behind Verstappen, and so even behind Gabriel Bortoleto. The Audi driver, eighth and 1.017 seconds off the pace, finished just ahead of Hadjar, a result that should be an encouraging sign for the team. His Audi team-mate Nico Hülkenberg, on the other hand, did not get a timed lap in: his car, which rookie Freddie Slater had parked in first practice after losing all his gears, failed again with electrical problems after being repaired.
Ferrari under tension, FIA investigates Câmara
Ferrari stayed outside the top five: Lewis Hamilton was sixth, 0.450 seconds off the pace, and Charles Leclerc followed in seventh, 0.720 seconds down and 0.270 seconds behind his team-mate. The session took place against the backdrop of a tense situation within the team: after the two drivers collided on the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix, team principal Fred Vasseur asked them to clear the air on Thursday evening in São Paulo. "It was a clear reminder that Ferrari is coming first," Vasseur said, demanding that Hamilton and Leclerc respect the brand, the team and the people at the factory and at the track.
Things got heated again for Leclerc in the session itself: Brazilian Rafael Câmara, who is making his Grand Prix debut at his home race in place of the dropped Esteban Ocon, is said to have impeded Leclerc on his fast lap on the main straight, and Leclerc had to take avoiding action. The stewards are investigating the incident after the session for possible impeding. Câmara himself was 16th, 1.798 seconds off the pace and well behind team-mate Oliver Bearman, who was 0.570 seconds quicker in tenth, an understandable gap for a driver who is taking part in a Grand Prix weekend for the first time this weekend, in front of his home crowd.
With third practice on Saturday morning and qualifying in the afternoon, it will now become clear whether Friday's tight group at the front turns into real battles for position, while both the stewards' decision and Câmara's further performance are likely to remain in focus.
