By: The third and final free practice session for the Brazilian GP at Interlagos has concluded, with teams using the available track time differently according to their respective programmes. Here are the key events from the session ahead of qualifying.
Green light
When the light turned green, Nico Hülkenberg was the first driver on track. Kimi Antonelli followed shortly afterwards and immediately complained over the radio about steering issues.
The first frontrunning team to show its potential was McLaren. On the medium tyre, Lando Norris set the fastest time of 1:13.064. Ferrari and Mercedes were soon out as well. Charles Leclerc briefly went quickest, only to be immediately displaced by Antonelli, who posted a 1:12.497. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri moved up to fourth, three tenths off the pace, while Lewis Hamilton climbed into the leading positions before returning to the pits.
Leclerc went on the attack again and lowered the benchmark further to 1:12.439. Verstappen and Antonelli then joined the action: the Dutchman took top spot, but was immediately beaten by the Mercedes driver, who delivered another strong performance.
Liam Lawson also caught the eye, putting Racing Bulls fourth. Meanwhile, Hamilton reported severe vibrations from the power unit and was immediately called back to the pits for checks.
During the session, significant grid penalties were officially confirmed: both Ferrari drivers will serve ten-place penalties for replacing the internal combustion engine in their power units, while Max Verstappen will start from the back of the grid after changing the entire power unit.
Ferrari's problems did not end there. Once back on track, Hamilton reported smoke coming from the rear of the SF-26. The Briton immediately returned to the pits, forcing the mechanics to intervene with a fire extinguisher. The car was promptly stripped down to identify the cause of the issue, with qualifying less than three hours away.
Qualifying simulation
With fewer than 20 minutes remaining, almost all drivers were stationary in the pits. Gasly, Colapinto and Perez were the exceptions, pursuing different programmes to the other teams.
Qualifying simulations on the soft tyre began shortly afterwards. George Russell, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were the first to head out. The Mercedes driver moved into second, while Norris set the provisional fastest time ahead of his team-mate.
Verstappen and Leclerc then arrived on track. The Dutchman immediately responded with a 1:11.622 to take first place. Ferrari's Monegasque driver, meanwhile, could only manage fifth.
Also worth noting was a strong lap from Camara in the Haas, which saw him finish 15th.
Many drivers returned to the track for one final attempt in the closing stages, but almost none were able to improve. This confirmed how close the circuit was to its limit and how the competitive order which emerged in the second half of the session could provide an important indication ahead of qualifying.
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All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Brazilian GP 2026
