New F1 champion Kimi Antonelli fastest in second Brazil GP practice

New Formula 1 world champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli was fastest in second practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, leading McLaren’s Lando Norris. 

Antonelli, who clinched his maiden F1 world title with a third-place finish in Mexico last weekend, was 0.253 seconds clear of the driver he replaced as world champion, Norris during the soft tyre runs in FP2 at Interlagos. 

Max Verstappen continued to complain about the state of his Red Bull car as he took third spot, 0.259s behind pacesetter Antonelli. 

When told that his power unit was adapting to him, the four-time world champion comically responded: "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.’"

George Russell, who will serve a five-place grid penalty this weekend due to taking on a fresh engine, was fourth-fastest, nearly three-tenths slower than Mercedes team-mate Antonelli. 

Oscar Piastri took fifth in the second McLaren, while the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were well off the pace in sixth and seventh.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton was unhappy with his long run, reporting that his “front tyres are not working” as he struggled to get tyres up to temperature. 

Hamilton was 0.450s off the pace, while Leclerc was over seven-tenths adrift of the session-leading pace set by Antonelli. 

Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman completed the top-10 for Red Bull and Haas respectively. 

In terms of the long run pace for Sunday’s race, there was not much to choose between the Mercedes and Ferrari cars on the soft tyres, though their pace dropped off after half a dozen laps due to tyre degradation. 

Verstappen was a couple of tenths slower but ran on the medium compound. 

On his unexpected F1 debut on home soil, Rafael Camara was 16th quickest in just his second practice outing for Haas, having been announced as Esteban Ocon’s replacement after his fallout with team principal Ayao Komatsu. 

The Brazilian was half a second slower than Haas team-mate Ollie Bearman on his first full day as a grand prix driver, though he did get in the way of Leclerc early in FP2. 

The Cadillacs of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were the slowest drivers to set lap times in 20th and 21st, while Nico Hulkenberg was unable to take part in the session as a result of the Audi car issues that ruined rookie Freddie Slater’s FP1 outing.