Kimi Antonelli finished Friday’s running at the 2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix at the top of the timesheets, the Mercedes driver setting the fastest lap of the day to edge out McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Free Practice 2.

With all 22 full-time drivers back in their cars following a first practice session that featured several rookie outings, the second hour of running provided teams with an opportunity to complete their preparations ahead of the remainder of the weekend. However, overcast skies and cooler temperatures continued to influence conditions at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, with occasional light rain threatening to interrupt proceedings.

Pierre Gasly was among the first drivers to venture out, setting an initial benchmark of 1:14.165 on the hard compound. Charles Leclerc subsequently improved on the medium tyres before Antonelli moved to the top with a 1:11.857, bringing the times closer to those recorded during FP1.

There were early concerns for several drivers. Leclerc reported a braking issue, while Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton locked up approaching Turn 1 as he struggled to generate sufficient temperature in his tyres. Isack Hadjar also reported that light drizzle was beginning to fall around the circuit.

Audi, meanwhile, confirmed that Nico Hulkenberg would not participate in the session. The German remained in the garage as the team continued investigating problems that had curtailed Freddie Slater’s running during FP1.

As the field returned to the pits to prepare for the next phase of their programmes, Hadjar took advantage of some clear track on the soft tyres to move into second place, although Antonelli remained comfortably ahead on the hard compound.

The competitive picture changed with approximately 35 minutes remaining when George Russell returned to the circuit and delivered a 1:11.036 to take provisional first place. However, the Mercedes driver was quickly displaced as Norris and Verstappen completed their soft-tyre runs, the pair moving ahead by the narrowest of margins.

Antonelli then produced the quickest lap of the afternoon, becoming the first driver to break into the 1:10s. His 1:10.763 effort established a benchmark that none of his rivals could match, putting him 0.253s clear of Norris, with Verstappen just 0.006s further back.

Russell remained fourth, only 0.020s behind Verstappen, while Oscar Piastri completed the top five for McLaren. The remarkably close margins between the leading four drivers highlighted the competitive balance at the front of the field.

Ferrari endured a less productive session. Hamilton finished sixth, 0.450s off the pace, with Leclerc seventh. The Monegasque driver had been attempting to improve his time when he encountered Haas rookie Rafael Câmara on the main straight, forcing him towards the wall and costing him valuable time. His engineer subsequently confirmed that the obstruction had added approximately two-tenths to his lap.

Home favourite Gabriel Bortoleto delivered eighth for Audi, ahead of Red Bull’s Hadjar and Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who completed the top 10.

Franco Colapinto finished 11th for Alpine, followed by Racing Bulls pair Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, with Gasly 14th. Fernando Alonso took 15th for Aston Martin, ahead of Câmara, who completed his first full day of Grand Prix running in 16th.

Carlos Sainz was 17th for Williams, ahead of Lance Stroll and Alex Albon, while Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas occupied the final two positions among the drivers who completed timed laps.

With the soft-tyre performance runs completed, teams turned their attention towards longer stints to assess tyre behaviour and gather race-pace data. Antonelli retained top spot, giving Mercedes an encouraging start to the São Paulo weekend.

FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:10.763 37 219.216
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.016 0.253 31 218.435
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:11.022 0.259 23 218.416
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:11.036 0.273 35 218.373
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.084 0.321 32 218.226
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:11.213 0.450 35 217.831
7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.483 0.720 33 217.008
8 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:11.780 1.017 33 216.110
9 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:11.839 1.076 33 215.932
10 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:11.991 1.228 36 215.476
11 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:11.996 1.233 33 215.461
12 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:12.008 1.245 36 215.426
13 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:12.042 1.279 36 215.324
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:12.109 1.346 37 215.124
15 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:12.538 1.775 34 213.852
16 Rafael Câmara Haas/Ferrari 1:12.561 1.798 30 213.784
17 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:12.742 1.979 33 213.252
18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:12.942 2.179 31 212.667
19 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:12.953 2.190 37 212.635
20 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:13.316 2.553 34 211.582
21 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:13.383 2.620 33 211.389