Max Verstappen Leads Final Practice at Sao Paulo GP Despite Grid Penalties

Max Verstappen topped the times in final practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. It will count for almost nothing on the grid.

The Red Bull driver, quickest by 0.025s from newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli, will start from the very back after taking a complete new power unit. On raw pace, he set the benchmark. On Sunday, he’ll be the man charging through the pack.

The penalties did not stop there. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will each drop 10 places for exceeding their internal combustion engine allocation, reshaping the fight for pole before qualifying has even begun.

Mercedes had already confirmed on Friday that George Russell will take a five-place grid penalty for another new internal combustion engine, the second time he has gone over the limit. For Hamilton and Leclerc, this is their first breach, so the sanction bites harder.

All of that leaves the stage clear for Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris to slug it out for pole when the serious times arrive at 6pm local time, with rain looming over Interlagos. On current form, it could be a straight shootout.

Norris ended final practice third, just 0.106s behind Antonelli, and the pair spent Friday swapping fastest laps as the circuit evolved. McLaren’s latest upgrades in Brazil have landed well; the car looks sharp, responsive, and immediately competitive.

Russell slotted into fourth, while Leclerc finally found the speed he had been missing on Friday. After making significant setup changes overnight, the Ferrari looked transformed, and he finished only 0.274s off Verstappen’s benchmark.

Hamilton’s session told a very different story. Limited to just seven laps, he reported engine vibrations early on, then smoke began to pour from the back of his Ferrari, forcing an abrupt end to his running. The team now faces a race against time to get his car ready for qualifying, even before the penalty drops him down the order.

Amid the chaos of grid drops, opportunity opens up. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who has laboured through a difficult second half of the season, suddenly finds a clear path to a strong starting position. He was sixth in final practice, well placed to benefit when the penalties are applied.

Behind him, the Racing Bulls pairing of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson took seventh and eighth, with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar ninth. With so many heavyweights shuffled down the grid, that trio could realistically be fighting for spots on the second row once the stewards’ arithmetic is done.

Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto continued his impressive home weekend in 10th, keeping himself firmly in the mix. Fellow Brazilian Rafael Camara, making his F1 debut for Haas, finished 15th but claimed a small personal milestone by outpacing team-mate Oliver Bearman in a practice session for the first time.

Camara’s promotion comes after Haas confirmed Esteban Ocon will not drive for the team for the remainder of the season following a turbulent week in Mexico. The American outfit has yet to reveal who will partner Camara in the final flyaway triple-header in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

With Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc and Russell all handicapped before a wheel is turned in qualifying, Interlagos is braced for one of those scrambled grids it does so well. The pace charts say one thing. The penalties promise something far wilder when the lights go out.