Verstappen tops Brazilian GP practice despite grid penalty

Max Verstappen set the fastest time in Free Practice 3 at the Brazilian Grand Prix, narrowly edging out Kimi Antonelli by 0.025 seconds on soft tyres. The Red Bull driver recorded a lap of 1 minute 11.622 seconds, while the Mercedes star finished second in 1 minute 11.647 seconds. Lando Norris completed the top three with a time of 1 minute 11.753 seconds, just 0.131 seconds behind Antonelli. George Russell and Charles Leclerc followed in fourth and fifth places, meaning the four leading teams lapped within 0.274 seconds of each other. This tight grouping suggests intense competition ahead for qualifying, though weather forecasts indicate rain may disrupt the session.

Tyre strategy and early pace

The opening forty minutes of the session focused exclusively on medium tyre compounds, with Antonelli initially setting the benchmark. He posted a time of 1 minute 12.209 seconds, leading Verstappen by 0.075 seconds despite the new world champion reporting a steering wheel problem. Verstappen noted his steering felt "heavy to the right," which contributed to him running wide at Turn 4 during one attempt. Liam Lawson set the fastest sector three time on mediums, finishing nearly 0.5 seconds quicker than Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad. Nico Hulkenberg finally took to the track after missing the previous session entirely because rookie Freddie Slater suffered a terminal issue with the Audi in FP1. These laps marked the German’s first action this weekend, allowing him to gather essential data before the main events.

Mechanical issues and grid penalties

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari suffered significant mechanical trouble that confined him to the garage for much of the session. The seven-time world champion reported "strange vibrations" emanating from his new powertrain along with "big engine braking" during his initial runs. His issue escalated when smoke appeared in the cockpit amid a worrying sound, forcing him to stop with 25 minutes remaining on the clock. Consequently, Hamilton performed no soft-tyre run and ended up 12th in the final results, far behind his usual pace. Isack Hadjar described his RB22 as "close to undriveable," placing ninth overall with a 0.591-second deficit to the pacesetter. Lance Stroll propped up the order after encountering a suspected ERS issue 15 minutes into the session, which proved terminal for his day.

Verstappen faces a severe disadvantage on Sunday despite his practice speed, as he must start from the back of the grid due to power unit changes. According to team principal Laurent Mekies, this penalty applies regardless of his qualifying performance. Both Ferrari drivers, Hamilton and Leclerc, also received 10-place grid drops for taking new internal combustion engines. George Russell carries a five-place penalty for his own engine change, further complicating the race strategy for Mercedes. Leclerc described Friday as particularly difficult for Ferrari, noting the car struggled in corners and on straights. The threat of heavy rain adds another variable, potentially altering tyre choices and race dynamics for all teams involved.