The Formula 1 race weekend at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace Interlagos delivered intense action as newly-crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheets in the second practice session. The Italian youngster masterfully navigated the overcast conditions in Sao Paulo, putting his Mercedes on top ahead of his closest rivals after capitalizing on Pirelli's soft compound tyres at the classic 4.3km circuit.
While intermittent threats of rain kept fans reaching for their gear, the persistent light drops never fully materialized. However, the cooler and overcast track conditions heavily influenced car setups and tyre management. Multi-time world champion Lewis Hamilton reported major struggles in generating proper tyre temperatures, leading to several front-left lock-ups heading into the heavily cambered Turn 1.
Despite battling heavy bottoming on the bumpy layout of the historic Brazilian venue, Antonelli maintained his composure. Having already set the early pace on the hard compound tyres, the young Italian dipped below the 1m11s barrier once the field transitioned to soft rubber halfway through the session, clocking a blistering 1m10.763s lap.
That effort put him a quarter of a second clear of the chasing pack in an increasingly tight 2026 grid. McLaren's Lando Norris clinched second place in his upgraded machine, narrowly edging out Max Verstappen by a mere six-thousandths of a second, with the Red Bull Racing star entertaining engineers with characteristic radio remarks about his clutch.
George Russell and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top five within a tenth of Norris, while Ferrari endured a quieter start with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc occupying sixth and seventh respectively. Local hero Gabriel Bortoleto also impressed the home crowd by placing eighth aboard his Audi.
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