Antonelli quickest in Brazil FP2 as Mercedes lead

Kimi Antonelli was a quarter of a second clear of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in second practice in Brazil, and almost half a second ahead of the fastest Ferrari. Telemetry comparing the fastest single laps of the top three drivers shows the three were evenly matched through the opening sector, before McLaren's pace dropped away in the second sector.

Norris lost ground between Turns 5 and 9, where McLaren harvested energy to recharge the battery for the following straight, and his deficit to Antonelli grew beyond two tenths of a second. Red Bull took a different approach, staying close to Antonelli until Turn 10, before Verstappen's battery deployment appeared to fade and the gap widened over the rest of the lap.

Neither rival matched Mercedes despite the contrasting tactics, which the report links to the strength of the W17 power unit and its electrical efficiency on the Interlagos layout. Attention now turns to whether teams change their energy deployment for final practice and qualifying.