SAO PAULO — Formula 1 champion Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes had the fastest lap in the second practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos on Friday.
Wearing a helmet inspired by his Brazilian hero and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna, Antonelli was 0.253 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was third, only 0.007 behind Norris. Mercedes' George Russell was fourth.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were sixth and seventh.
Most drivers had better laps in the second practice as they turned to soft tires.
“It was a positive day overall and I felt good in the car, particularly on the single lap runs, Antonelli said. "The conditions were quite tricky with the low grip, and it wasn’t easy to find the right balance, but I think we made some good progress. There is still more to improve with both the car and my driving.
“The weather could also play a part. It’s very difficult to predict at the moment, so we need to be ready for anything and react quickly if the conditions change.”
Weather forecasts say it could be a rainy weekend at Interlagos.
The 20-year-old Antonelli's performance was celebrated by Brazilian fans in the stands, who saw the youngest ever to win the series paying tributes again to the late Senna, with visits to Senna's family and grave in Sao Paulo.
Norris clocked the best lap in the first practice. The British driver was 0.082 seconds faster than Antonelli. Verstappen was third quickest.
“Free practice one was a pleasant surprise, and although we found free practice two slightly more challenging compared to Mercedes, our pace relative to the rest of the field looked strong,” Norris said. “The car has been tricky this year, but today it felt a little more straightforward and positive."
Leclerc was substituted for the session by Sweden's Dino Beganovic. The rookie struggled to stay on the track and clocked the second worst lap.
Hamilton, who on Thursday was still frustrated about his incident with Leclerc in Mexico, said he had a challenging day at Interlagos.
“The track is very bumpy and slippery, which made it difficult to get the tires into the right window,” the seven-time world champion said. “We’ve gathered plenty of useful data so we’ll work through that with the team tonight to understand where we can improve the car ahead of qualifying tomorrow.”
Another rookie, Haas' Rafael Câmara, one of the two Brazilians on the grid and substituting for Frenchman Esteban Ocon, was 18th in the first practice and 16th in the second.
