Verstappen tops final practice in Sao Paulo despite penalties

Max Verstappen topped the final practice session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, beating Kimi Antonelli by 0.025 seconds with a time of 1:11.622 on C5 soft tyres. Antonelli was second, ahead of Lando Norris in third.

Verstappen is nonetheless expected to start Sunday's race from the back of the grid after Red Bull fitted a new power unit with several components replaced beyond his permitted allocation. George Russell was fourth, while both Ferrari drivers face ten-place grid penalties.

Lewis Hamilton's session ended after seven laps when smoke appeared from his Ferrari, leaving him 12th. Rain was threatening qualifying, with several frontrunners facing penalties.