Newly crowned Formula 1 world champion Kimi Antonelli continued his sensational run of form by topping the timesheet in the second practice session at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace Interlagos, setting the pace ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris.
The Italian youngster, who clinched his maiden F1 world title with a third-place finish in Mexico last weekend, showed supreme speed during the soft tyre runs in FP2. Antonelli finished 0.253 seconds clear of Norris—the very driver he succeeded as world champion—cementing his status as the man to beat at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Drama unfolded in the Red Bull garage as Max Verstappen once again voiced his frustrations over the handling of his RB22. The four-time world champion had to settle for third fastest, 0.259s adrift of Antonelli's benchmark. When informed over the team radio that his power unit was adapting to his driving style, the Dutchman delivered a witty and sarcastic response. "What does that mean? I have to speak to the engine myself? I think I should be like, 'oh clutch, I'm switching. You will be punished otherwise,'" Verstappen remarked comically.
Meanwhile, George Russell secured the fourth-fastest time for Mercedes, nearly three-tenths shy of his team-mate. Russell faces an uphill battle this weekend as he carries a five-place grid penalty for taking on fresh engine components. Oscar Piastri took fifth in the second McLaren, whereas the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc struggled significantly for pace, ending up in sixth and seventh positions.
Hamilton expressed visible displeasure with his long-run performance, reporting that his front tyres were failing to generate sufficient working temperatures. Further down the order, home favourite Rafael Camara completed an unexpected F1 debut weekend by finishing 16th for Haas, while Nico Hulkenberg failed to take to the track due to persistent car issues plaguing the Audi squad.
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