FP2 São Paulo: F1 champion Antonelli on top, a bitter pill for Nico Hülkenberg

The Brazilian weather gods were not kind to the Formula 1 drivers, as the rain began to fall almost as soon as they got underway in the second practice session. Although weather experts had put the probability of rain for the second practice session at just 10 per cent, Red Bull Racing star Isack Hadjar had already reported the first drops.

This was particularly bad news for Ferrari star Charles Leclerc, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, Audi veteran Nico Hülkenberg, Williams driver Carlos Sainz and Sergio Pérez in the Cadillac, as they had spent the first free practice session on the sidelines to give the younger drivers a chance to clock up some experience.

A bitter pill for Nico Hülkenberg

The track filled up quickly as a result, but Hülkenberg was the only one who was late to the party. This was because his Audi was still undergoing intensive work in every nook and cranny, after young driver Freddie Slater had suddenly and unexpectedly lost all gear changes during the first practice session and had been forced to park the Swiss-built GP racer at the side of the track.

After the first few minutes, they tried to restart the car, but then the electronics failed, as a team spokesperson told the TV crew from ‘Sky Sports F1’. Shortly afterwards, the team confirmed what had been feared: Hülkenberg would not make it onto the track in time before the end of the second practice session.

Early chase for fast lap times in the second practice session

Hülkenberg’s team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto was not deterred by this and, in front of a home crowd, set a fast lap that was enough to secure fourth place in the first quarter of an hour, behind world champion Kimi Antonelli, McLaren ace Lando Norris and Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen. However, the joy of the local hero and his fans was short-lived, as George Russell moved up to fourth place shortly afterwards and Leclerc was also setting faster times, meaning the young curly-haired driver was quickly overtaken.

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After the first 20 minutes, things quietened down; only Hadjar and Pierre Gasly were on the track until Russell joined them. At that point, Antonelli was leading the timesheets with a time of 1:11.824 minutes. He had set the lap on hard tyres. Hadjar, who had already taken to the track on the soft compound and set a fast lap, came within 15 thousandths of that time.

More and more drivers switched to the soft compound, leading to plenty of movement on the timesheet. First, Russell took the lead, then Lando Norris took the top spot with a time of 1:11.016 mins. Lewis Hamilton couldn’t match this time, and even Verstappen could only get within 6 thousandths of the McLaren driver’s best time. Finally, the new champion set a new benchmark with a time of 1:10.763 minutes.

Formula 1 rookie in the regulators’ sights

At the halfway stage, the Mercedes star topped the timesheets, followed by Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Piastri, Hamilton, Bortoleto, Hadjar, Ollie Bearman, Franco Colapinto, Arvid Lindblad, Liam Lawson, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Rafael Câmara, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas.

On the short circuit, a number of drivers got in each other’s way; for instance, Leclerc was held up, of all people, by Ferrari protégé Câmara, who failed to move aside in his Haas car. The stewards – Nish Shetty, Loïc Bacquelaine, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Felipe Maluhy – announced an investigation into the incident after the end of the second practice session.

Verstappen continued to struggle with his gear changes, but proved over the radio that he hadn’t lost his sense of humour. When his team pointed out to him that there was no quick fix, he replied: “Er, what’s that supposed to mean? Do I have to talk to the engine myself?” And he immediately gave an example of a threat directed at the clutch.

Right at the very end, a few drops of rain were reported again, and Verstappen pulled out six minutes before the end of the session. Nothing changed at the top of the timesheets; Antonelli, who’d had to settle for second place in the first practice session, was able to celebrate setting the day’s fastest time. Behind him, Norris and Verstappen took the remaining top-three places.