2026 F1 São Paulo GP | FP3 results

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FP3 at the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace has concluded, with the drivers completing their final preparations ahead of qualifying, view the full results here.

Following Friday’s running, there was plenty to discuss heading into the final practice session. Mercedes confirmed an engine change for George Russell, which resulted in a five-place grid penalty. The Briton now faces an uphill battle for Sunday’s race, regardless of his qualifying performance.

On track, Lando Norris topped FP1, leading newly crowned World Champion Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen. However, the Italian turned the tables in FP2, beating Norris by 0.253s, with Verstappen just 0.006s further behind. Russell and Oscar Piastri completed the top five, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished sixth and seventh for Ferrari.

Mercedes showed particularly strong pace over a single lap, although McLaren and Red Bull remained close behind. Ferrari struggled to match the leading three teams, leaving both drivers searching for more performance ahead of qualifying.

In the midfield, Gabriel Bortoleto impressed his home crowd with P8 in FP2, although Audi endured a difficult Friday overall. Freddie Slater encountered a technical issue that triggered a red flag in FP1, while the team kept Nico Hülkenberg in the garage throughout FP2 as they investigated the problem.

Racing Bulls and Haas also showed promising pace, with Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman rounding out the top ten in FP2. Meanwhile, Brazilian rookie Rafael Câmara continued to gain experience during his first Grand Prix weekend with Haas, finishing P16 in the afternoon session.

Williams and Cadillac struggled to find pace throughout Friday, leaving both teams at risk of another Q1 exit. Aston Martin also faced a difficult day, with Fernando Alonso finishing P15 and Lance Stroll P18 in FP2. All three teams will need to make significant improvements to challenge the upper midfield in qualifying.