Antonelli Fastest In Brazil Practice As Mercedes Chase Title

Kimi Antonelli, newly crowned Formula 1 world champion, was the fastest driver across Friday practice for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, setting the pace in the second session at Interlagos as Mercedes turned their attention to sealing the constructors' title.

Antonelli secured the drivers' championship with third place at last weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the sport's youngest ever world champion at 20 years old and beating the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel by three years.

That race in Mexico was won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton second. The result lifted Verstappen to second in the drivers' standings, two points clear of Hamilton.

At Interlagos on Friday, McLaren's Lando Norris was quickest in the opening session before Antonelli reversed the order in the second, finishing the day 0.253 seconds clear of the British-based team's driver overall, according to Yahoo Sports. Antonelli said he had not arrived in Brazil in peak condition after the title celebrations, despite the pace he showed.

McLaren brought a significant upgrade package to the circuit, with the team looking to finish the season strongly and give themselves a head start on next year's car, Yahoo Sports reported.

Verstappen, winner of three of the last four races, was third fastest on Friday, with Oscar Piastri just behind him. Mercedes' George Russell, now fourth in the drivers' standings, was also among the day's quickest but will start the race with a five-place grid penalty following an engine change.

Mercedes hold a 126-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors' championship, with a maximum of 129 points available across the Sao Paulo weekend. Outscoring Ferrari by at least three points would confirm a ninth constructors' title for the team, following eight consecutive championships between 2014 and 2021.

Ferrari's weekend has been coloured by tension between their drivers. Charles Leclerc missed first practice for the birth of his first child before returning for the second session, while Hamilton continued his criticism of his team-mate over a lap-one incident in Mexico, questioning Leclerc's mentality and saying he would not be silenced as he arrived in Brazil, Yahoo Sports reported.

Haas have dropped Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the season. His seat for the Sao Paulo race goes to 21-year-old Brazilian driver Rafael Camara, who is set to join the team permanently in 2027.

The 71-lap grand prix gets under way at Interlagos on Sunday with lights out at 17:00 GMT, with BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds carrying commentary and the post-race show available on iPlayer and YouTube. Last year's race weekend at the circuit was attended by 304,000 fans, according to the BBC.