Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in the second free practice session for the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo on Friday, according to RacingNews365. Lando Norris was second and Max Verstappen third, repeating the top-three order from the opening session earlier in the day.
The session ran in worsening weather. Light drizzle fell throughout and grew steadier as the hour went on, while mist increasingly cut visibility towards the end. Despite the conditions, the track stayed busy and teams pressed on with their programmes.
Why it matters
Friday practice at Interlagos is the only running teams get before qualifying and the race, and this year it came with a complication: a track that got slower and harder to read with every lap. The gaps at the front were small — six thousandths of a second separated second from third once the field switched to long runs — which suggests the fight at the front could be tight if conditions stabilise.
For Antonelli, the session is further evidence of form. The Dutch outlet NOS described him as the reigning champion and noted he was quick throughout, while AD.nl called him clearly the strongest driver of the session. A champion leading practice in mixed weather is not a surprise, but the margin he held over experienced rivals is worth watching.
Antonelli's margin, and Verstappen's early exit
Antonelli's advantage over the two drivers directly behind him was around two and a half tenths, per RacingNews365 — a comfortable cushion in a session where the rest of the field was tightly bunched. Norris and Verstappen were separated by just six thousandths when the focus shifted from single-lap pace to race simulation.
Verstappen's afternoon ended earlier than planned. He climbed out of the car roughly five minutes before the chequered flag and the Red Bull crew set to work on the machine. RacingNews365 reports that the exact nature of the issue was not made clear, but the Dutchman still finished third, ahead of George Russell in fourth and Oscar Piastri in fifth.
AD.nl reported that Verstappen made light of his troubles in the garage, joking about the situation. His long-run pace drew positive notice, though the outlet added that his rivals' race simulations were hardly disappointing either — and with the track deteriorating, nobody found meaningful time in the closing phase.
A session shaped by the weather
The drizzle and thickening mist made this a difficult hour for drivers and engineers alike. Grip levels shifted lap by lap, and visibility fell late in the session, yet cars kept circulating. That combination tends to reward drivers who can feel a car through a moving window of conditions, and it complicates the data teams take into Saturday.
The earlier first practice had produced the same leading trio, with Norris quickest ahead of Antonelli and Verstappen, according to Motorsport.com. That outlet also reported that Colton Herta secured his superlicence on Friday — a separate storyline from the on-track order but a notable one for the American's prospects.
For now, the practice picture is clear at the front and murky everywhere else. The top three have shown pace in both sessions; the question is whether the weather will let anyone confirm it when it counts.
Qualifying and the race will show whether Antonelli's Friday edge holds, and whether Verstappen's shortened session leaves Red Bull chasing answers overnight.
