Max Verstappen drove the fastest lap during the final practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix, edging out Kimi Antonelli by a handful of thousandths of a second, according to F1journaal.be.
Drivers utilized the final sixty-minute session at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace to dial in car setups and evaluate tire choices ahead of qualifying. The track conditions differed significantly from Friday’s sessions, forcing drivers to hunt for grip as cloud cover moved over the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo.
Red Bull’s preparations were complicated by recurring mechanical frustrations for Verstappen. F1journaal.be reported that the four-time world champion battled persistent car issues, echoing radio exchanges from earlier in the weekend where he sparred cynically with his race engineer over clutch and gear-shifting behavior.
Sporza noted that Verstappen previously reacted to suggestions about car performance by stating over the radio, “I am always the fastest, it just depends on the car whether I can show it.” During Friday’s running, the Dutch driver voiced heavy frustration over shifting faults, joking that his team might need to “punish” the clutch if it failed to cooperate.
Sporza confirmed that Lando Norris finished behind Verstappen and Antonelli. The session also saw drama further down the pit lane when Lewis Hamilton brought his Ferrari to a halt with smoke pouring from the cockpit, prematurely ending his running with roughly twenty-five minutes remaining on the clock.
Teams turned heavily to soft compound tires during the closing fifteen minutes of the session as track evolution peaked. F1journaal.be noted that rookie Rafael Camara continued a strong home weekend racing in front of the Brazilian crowd, while drivers gathered data regarding potential rain threats for the afternoon.
The qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix is scheduled to begin later today at 19:00 Belgian time (CET), setting the grid for the main race at Interlagos.
A Lewis-eye view of Interlagos 👁️ FASTEST FIVE AFTER 25 MINS 👇 Antonelli Verstappen Hamilton Norris Russell #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/yMNPZRoC90
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