Norris edges new champion Antonelli to top São Paulo practice

McLaren’s Lando Norris set the fastest time in Friday’s opening practice for the São Paulo Grand Prix, clocking 1:11.717 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. Newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli was second, with Max Verstappen third.

Antonelli initially led on medium tyres, but Verstappen took over after switching to softs. Antonelli’s first soft-tyre attempt ended with a lock-up and a run wide at Turn 1; he later regained the lead with a 1:11.799. Norris then beat that time by 0.082 seconds.

Norris set his benchmark with 20 minutes remaining, one of the last drivers to improve as the track evolved. The teams then focused on long-run simulations, and no one displaced his time before the chequered flag.