Champion Kimi Antonelli takes fastest lap in Sao Paulo Grand Prix FP2

Mercedes’ champion-elect, Kimi Antonelli topped the timing boards in the second hour of practice beating McLaren’s Lando Norris by 0.253 seconds. 

Feature image credit: By Courtesy of Pirelli

In the first day back to the sport since the Mexico City Grand Prix last weekend, Antonelli returned to the top as the Italian world champion took the fastest lap of the session with a 1m 10.763s.

Norris, who set the pace in Free Practice 1, finished behind his successor by 0.253 seconds, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finishing behind the McLaren by a narrow 0.006 seconds.  

When the pit exit light turned green, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, one of six drivers to miss FP1 was the first to head out onto the circuit followed by his teammate, Franco Colapinto. 

They were quickly accompanied by the rest of the field with a mix of medium and hard compounds, as the teams and drivers worked to get some dry running in, under the threat of rain. Fortunately, the drivers were able to continue on through the full hour of practice without having to jump onto the wet-compound tyres. 

However, the session slowly grew cloudy and misty as the hour entered the dying minutes of FP2. 

Only Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg remained in the garage whilst the team worked on the issues that plagued Freddie Slater in FP1. Hulkenberg, unfortunately, did not make it out of the pits, losing an entire day of running. 

Lando Norris fastest in opening practice at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

At the 15 minute marker, Antonelli topped the timing boards with a 1m 11.824s lap, 0.209 seconds ahead of Norris with Verstappen rounding out the top three 0.284s, behind. 

Shortly after, the drivers started to filter into the pits to prepare for their qualifying or performance runs, with Mercedes’ George Russell laying down the gauntlet with a 1m 11.036s.

However, the Briton was quickly beaten by a number of drivers, including Norris and Verstappen, respectively. The champion-elect, Antonelli, soon put in the fastest lap of the session with a 1m 10.763s, pipping Norris by 0.253s.

After a handful of minutes and laps on the soft compound tyres, the drivers were done with their qualifying laps, returning to their race simulations and long runs. 

Who finished where in FP2?

1. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes – 1m 10.763s
2. Lando Norris, McLaren +0.253s
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull +0.259s
4. George Russell, Mercedes +0.273s
5. Oscar Piastri, McLaren +0.321s
6. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari +0.450s
7. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +0.720s
8. Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi +1.017s
9. Isack Hadjar, Red Bull +1.076s
10. Oliver Bearman, Haas +1.228s
11. Franco Colapinto, Alpine +1.233s
12. Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls +1.245s
13. Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls +1.279s
14. Pierre Gasly, Alpine +1.346s
15. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin +1.775s
16. Rafael Camara, Haas +1.798s
17. Carlos Sainz, Williams +1.979s 
18. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +2.179s
19. Alexander Albon, Williams +2.190s
20. Sergio Perez, Cadillac +2.553s
21. Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac +2.620s

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.