Verstappen quickest in final Sao Paulo practice ahead of Antonelli

Max Verstappen was fastest in final practice for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, narrowly beating newly crowned champion Kimi Antonelli. The result sets up an intriguing qualifying session, although Verstappen is due to start Sunday’s race from the back because of an engine-change penalty.

Verstappen’s time was 1:11.622, just 0.025 seconds ahead of Antonelli; Lando Norris was third and George Russell fourth. Russell faces a five-place grid penalty, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc also have grid drops for engine changes. Hamilton stopped after reporting unusual engine vibrations and smoke, and rain was expected for qualifying.