Kimi Antonelli topped FP2 at the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP, setting a 1:10.763 during Friday afternoon’s running at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. The newly crowned World Champion finished 0.253 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, while Max Verstappen completed the top three, just 0.006 seconds behind the Briton.
Mercedes teammate George Russell finished fourth, ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton, while Charles Leclerc completed the top seven. Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman rounded out the leading ten as drivers completed their qualifying simulations before switching to longer runs.
Following Norris’s fastest lap in FP1, the full-time drivers returned to their cars after six teams had fielded rookies earlier in the day. However, Nico Hülkenberg remained in the Audi garage throughout FP2 as the team continued investigating the technical problem that had ended Freddie Slater’s morning session.
Cloudy skies and the threat of rain encouraged teams to begin running immediately, although the conditions remained dry throughout the session.
Alpine leads the field out as Antonelli establishes early benchmark
With the possibility of rain approaching Interlagos, Pierre Gasly led the field out of the pit lane at the start of FP2, followed by Alpine teammate Franco Colapinto and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque began his weekend after Dino Beganovic had taken over his car for the opening practice session.
Gasly established the first benchmark with a 1:14.165 on hard tyres, although Colapinto quickly improved to a 1:13.873 before lowering his time to 1:13.247 on mediums. Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad followed with a 1:13.308, temporarily placing both drivers ahead of the remaining competitors.
However, Oscar Piastri soon moved into first with a 1:13.093 on hard tyres before home favourite Bortoleto displaced him with a 1:12.436 for Audi. The order continued to change as more drivers completed their opening runs, with Antonelli eventually establishing a 1:11.857 to move ahead.
Verstappen also demonstrated encouraging pace, recording a 1:12.281 on mediums. However, Norris subsequently completed a 1:12.110 on hard tyres, moving into second ahead of the Red Bull driver.
Meanwhile, Ferrari encountered mixed fortunes during the opening minutes. Leclerc improved to a 1:12.759 while raising concerns about his brakes, while Hamilton initially struggled for pace before moving into the top ten with a 1:12.799.
Antonelli retains advantage as Russell improves for Mercedes
Antonelli maintained control of the classification during the opening quarter of FP2, improving his fastest lap to a 1:11.834. Norris followed in second with a 1:12.033, while Verstappen moved into third with a 1:12.108. Bortoleto and Hadjar completed the leading five, ahead of Piastri, as the teams continued their initial programmes.
Hamilton subsequently improved to a 1:12.699, moving into sixth before Russell displaced him. The Mercedes driver began his first flying lap later than several competitors, recording a 1:12.521 before improving further to a 1:12.252. Leclerc also found additional pace, setting a 1:12.390 to move into fifth.
However, Audi faced further difficulties as Hülkenberg remained in the garage. Following Slater’s stoppage during FP1, the team had stripped back sections of the car while investigating a suspected electrical issue. The problem prevented the German from joining the afternoon running, leaving Bortoleto as Audi’s only representative on track.
Elsewhere, Hadjar reported vibrations in his Red Bull but continued his programme. Several drivers also struggled under braking at Turn 1, with Russell running wide following a lock-up. Bottoming emerged as another concern as teams continued evaluating their setups.
Hadjar moves into second as soft-tyre qualifying simulations begin
As FP2 approached the 20-minute mark, most drivers returned to the pits to prepare for their qualifying simulations. Antonelli improved again to a 1:11.824, retaining the fastest second and third sectors, while Norris held the quickest opening sector.
Hadjar subsequently emerged as one of the first drivers to begin a qualifying simulation on soft tyres. With relatively clear track conditions, the Frenchman recorded a 1:11.839 to move into second, just 0.015 seconds behind Antonelli’s benchmark.
With approximately 36 minutes remaining, more competitors returned to the circuit on the soft compound. Russell immediately demonstrated competitive pace, recording the fastest opening sector before completing a 1:11.036 to move ahead of Antonelli. His performance also established the quickest second and third sectors at that stage, temporarily placing Mercedes at the top of the classification.
However, Norris responded almost immediately, setting a 1:11.016 to reclaim the lead by just 0.020 seconds. Hamilton also improved considerably during his soft-tyre run, recording a 1:11.213 to move into the leading positions.
Verstappen then produced another competitive lap, recording a 1:11.022 to move into second, just 0.006 seconds behind Norris. The Dutchman secured the fastest middle sector during his improvement, although he remained narrowly behind the McLaren driver.
Antonelli reclaims top spot as Mercedes and McLaren show strong pace
Antonelli subsequently delivered the fastest lap of the session, recording a 1:10.763 to reclaim first place. The Italian produced the quickest second and third sectors, establishing a 0.253-second advantage over Norris and moving comfortably ahead of his closest rivals.
Verstappen remained third with his 1:11.022, while Russell occupied fourth on a 1:11.036. Piastri also found additional pace during his soft-tyre simulation, eventually recording a 1:11.084 to move into fifth, finishing just 0.068 seconds behind teammate Norris.
Hamilton followed in sixth with his earlier 1:11.213, completing the group of drivers within half a second of Antonelli. Ferrari teammate Leclerc continued working through his first practice session of the weekend after missing FP1.
Russell’s performance also came after the FIA confirmed his five-place grid penalty for taking a sixth internal combustion engine. The Briton will therefore lose five positions from wherever he qualifies for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, the competitive order remained closely matched behind Antonelli. Just 0.068 seconds separated Norris, Verstappen, Russell and Piastri, highlighting the narrow margins among the leading contenders.
Leclerc improves as stewards note incident involving Câmara
As the session entered its second half, Leclerc returned to the circuit on soft tyres and improved his lap time. The Ferrari driver eventually recorded a 1:11.483, securing seventh and finishing 0.720 seconds behind Antonelli.
However, Leclerc encountered traffic involving Haas rookie Rafael Câmara near Turn 15 during his running. Race control noted the potential impeding incident for investigation after the session, although officials had not confirmed an outcome during FP2.
The Monegasque had also raised concerns about his brakes earlier in the afternoon, while Ferrari continued working through its programme following the technical difficulties that had affected Beganovic during FP1.
Further down the order, Bortoleto maintained his position among the leading midfield runners, eventually recording a 1:11.780 to secure eighth. Hadjar followed in ninth with his earlier 1:11.839, while Bearman improved to a 1:11.991 to complete the top ten.
Colapinto finished just 0.005 seconds behind Bearman in 11th, while the Racing Bulls pair of Lindblad and Liam Lawson followed in 12th and 13th. Gasly completed the leading 14 for Alpine.
Several drivers continued encountering difficulties under braking, particularly at Turn 1, as teams evaluated their cars’ performance around the Brazilian circuit.
Drivers switch to long runs as Antonelli remains fastest
With the qualifying simulations largely complete, teams shifted their attention towards longer runs during the final stages of FP2. Drivers continued gathering information on tyre behaviour and race pace, while the timing order remained largely unchanged.
Antonelli’s 1:10.763 remained unbeaten as the session approached the chequered flag. Norris retained second, while Verstappen completed the top three ahead of Russell and Piastri. Hamilton and Leclerc remained sixth and seventh respectively, ensuring both Ferraris finished inside the leading seven.
Bortoleto completed an encouraging afternoon for Audi in eighth, particularly after the technical difficulties that prevented Hülkenberg from participating. Hadjar and Bearman rounded out the top ten, with the Haas driver finishing narrowly ahead of Colapinto.
Behind the leading midfield group, Fernando Alonso completed the session in 15th, followed by Câmara, Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll. Alex Albon finished 19th, while Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas occupied 20th and 21st.
Hülkenberg completed the classification without a timed lap, as Audi failed to resolve the issue that had affected his car earlier in the day.
With drivers concentrating on race simulations rather than improving their single-lap times, the final part of FP2 produced little movement in the classification.
Antonelli concludes Friday fastest ahead of Norris and Verstappen
Antonelli therefore concluded Friday’s running with the fastest lap of the weekend, improving on Norris’s FP1 benchmark of 1:11.717 by 0.954 seconds. The Mercedes driver finished 0.253 seconds clear of the McLaren, while Verstappen remained just 0.006 seconds behind Norris.
Russell completed an encouraging session in fourth despite his upcoming grid penalty, while McLaren placed both cars inside the top five. Ferrari followed with Hamilton sixth and Leclerc seventh, although the latter had experienced concerns with his brakes and an incident involving Câmara.
Bortoleto’s eighth-place finish provided encouragement for Audi, but Hülkenberg’s absence represented a significant loss of preparation time ahead of qualifying. The German failed to set a lap during FP2 following the technical problem that had already interrupted the team’s morning running.
The drivers will return to the circuit for FP3 on Saturday, 7 November, before qualifying determines the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
With Antonelli leading both Mercedes’ preparations and the overall classification, the newly crowned World Champion will aim to maintain his advantage as the São Paulo weekend continues.
