Sao Paulo (AFP) – The new Formula 1 champion, Kimi Antonelli, set the best time this Friday in the second free practice session of the Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix, at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo.

First modification: 07/11/2026 - 00:05

Aboard his Mercedes car, the Italian prodigy dominated the second session from the start and ended up setting the best time of the day (1:10.763).

This Friday was Antonelli's return to the track after becoming the youngest champion in the highest category of motorsport in Mexico on Sunday, at 20 years and 68 days old.

He surpassed by one second the record of the big league champion in 2025, the British Lando Norris, who was the fastest in the first practices this Friday with a time of 1:11.717.

Norris himself, from McLaren, set the second fastest time of the second session, with 1:11.016, followed by Red Bull's Dutchman, Max Verstappen (1:11:022).

"In the first free practice session we were quite comfortable at the pace of the best. In the second it may have been a little more difficult for us to match the pace of Mercedes, but I think it was a good start to the weekend," said Norris.

The British Lewis Hamilton achieved sixth place, ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc, with whom he is involved in a tense internal struggle at Ferrari.

Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto finished eighth in his Audi, while Haas's Rafael Câmara, in his second participation in an F1 session, finished in 16th place.

Câmara's debut

Câmara will make his Grand Prix debut on Sunday, replacing the Frenchman Estéban Ocon, struck down by the American team after the race in Mexico last week.

During the session there were some off-track and moments of tension, especially when Leclerc came close to crashing after encountering the young Brazilian driver.

"Coming to F1 is very exciting, seeing the crowd screaming. It's my first time at Interlagos. I've tried to get to know the circuit better, which is very nice, and get used to the speed and the car for the rest of the weekend," commented Câmara.

For his part, the Argentine Alpine driver Franco Colapinto finished eleventh, 1 second and 233 thousandths behind Antonelli.

"Everything is very tight. In terms of the speed of the car we are fine; balance and consistency are lacking," analyzed the Argentine at the conclusion of the second free practice session.

Mercedes seeks double

The rain forecast conditioned the teams' strategies during the second practice session, although only a light drizzle fell and the track remained dry.

This Saturday the third free practice session will take place, starting at 2:30 p.m. GMT. The qualifying session will take place at 18:00 GMT.

With Antonelli already champion, the Mercedes team aims to achieve the double this Sunday in Brazil by winning the constructors' title.

The German brand needs to score three more points than Ferrari in Interlagos to once again win a title that it has not achieved since 2021.

Mercedes dominates the team championship with 630 points, to Ferrari's 504, the only brand that can take away the constructors' title.

The Sao Paulo GP race will be on Sunday at 17:00 GMT.

© 2026 AFP

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