Max Verstappen set the pace in final practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, according to Sky Sports, but the Red Bull driver will face a back-of-the-grid penalty alongside Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who both incur 10-place drops.
Verstappen's margin over the new Formula 1 world champion Kimi Antonelli stood at just 0.025 seconds, yet the Red Bull driver's penalty is far more severe than his rivals'. According to Formula1.com, Verstappen exceeded the limits for the internal combustion engine, turbocharger and exhaust, triggering a complete power unit change and a back-of-the-grid start. Hamilton and Leclerc have each exceeded their season allowance for the internal combustion engine alone, making their first-time penalties smaller in magnitude.
Mercedes had already confirmed on Friday that George Russell will receive a five-place penalty for a new internal combustion engine, marking the second occasion he has surpassed that component's allocation. The Ferrari drivers face penalties for the first time this season, which under the regulations results in a larger drop than subsequent breaches.
F1's penalty framework applies a 10-place drop the first time a component allocation is exceeded and a five-place drop for subsequent exceedances; penalties at the same event are cumulative, and a total exceeding 15 places means starting at the back. This explains why Verstappen's multiple component changes result in the harshest sanction.
The grid penalties mean Antonelli and McLaren's Lando Norris have emerged as the primary contenders for pole position in qualifying, which took place on Saturday. According to Sky Sports, Norris secured pole position for the third consecutive year in Brazil, with Antonelli alongside him on the front row.
Norris finished third in final practice, just 0.106 seconds adrift of Antonelli, and has been trading top spot with the Mercedes driver throughout Friday's practice sessions. McLaren's aerodynamic upgrades introduced in Brazil appear to have delivered an immediate performance boost, with Antonelli topping FP2 in 1:10.763, ahead of Norris and Verstappen.
George Russell secured fourth quickest in final practice and will start seventh after his five-place penalty. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc demonstrated considerably improved pace compared to Friday after implementing significant changes to his car's setup, finishing just 0.274 seconds off the pace and suggesting Ferrari has made progress overnight. Leclerc will start 14th following his 10-place grid penalty.
Lewis Hamilton's final practice session was severely curtailed, completing only seven laps due to an engine problem that Ferrari had to resolve before qualifying. The Mercedes driver initially reported engine vibrations, but the situation deteriorated when his power unit began smoking, forcing an early end to his running.
The reverse grid battle
The grid penalties have created an unusual scenario for Sunday's race. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described it as "almost a reverse grid race", with several of F1's biggest names starting out of position.
Verstappen is no stranger to making his way through the pack at Interlagos. Verstappen recovered from 17th to win the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix; in 2025, after starting from the pit lane, he climbed to third, demonstrating his ability to navigate through the field from adverse starting positions.
However, Verstappen believes overtaking will be more challenging this time around. "It's going to be a bit harder to overtake. The Overtake Mode doesn't really do a lot around here. Everyone is draining their battery from the last corner to Turn 1. Everyone has their wings open, so the effect is less than normal," he told Sky Sports F1. "That will make it a little harder to overtake once you get to the cars that are similar on lap times. The first few cars are not a problem. The others will be a little harder."
Overtake Mode, which replaced DRS at the start of this year, activates when a car is within one second of the car in front. It allows the following car a higher speed while deploying maximum energy from the electric motor. On a normal lap, when the car reaches 180mph, it must ramp down its electric motor power by regulation. With Overtake Mode active, that speed tolerance raises to 209mph.
Hamilton memorably went from 20th to fifth in the 2021 Sprint in Brazil after being disqualified from qualifying, then won the Grand Prix after starting 10th. However, he will not have the same car advantage from five years ago with Ferrari struggling this weekend compared to their recent form.
"It will be tricky conditions but I love racing in the rain," Hamilton said. "I was basically using the qualifying as a test to make sure the engine is working, and making sure the car felt good. I feel good for tomorrow."
Leclerc has fewer cars to overtake from 14th and feels he learned a lot from the wet qualifying by experimenting with setup tweaks which will benefit him in the race. "It's going to be very tricky. My biggest strength in the junior categories has been wet driving. Since my nine years with Ferrari, we have never found a way around it," he told Sky Sports F1. "I still believe if we manage to find the right window of this car, we can fight for much better than top six."
Norris hoping for rain to challenge Antonelli
Last year's F1 world champion Norris will start on pole from the new world champion Antonelli in the first race since the latter secured this year's title a week ago in Mexico.
McLaren have brought a new front wing, rear wing, beam wing and floor elements to their car this weekend and it appears to have made an immediate performance impact. Norris and Antonelli traded lap times throughout Friday's practice sessions in the dry, but the McLaren driver feels he needs rain to beat Antonelli on Sunday.
"I expect a battle no matter what. If it's dry, I probably expect a bigger battle because I don't think we quite have the speed compared to them," Norris told Sky Sports F1. "That's why I feel like we had a very good day today. We made the most of conditions where it's not so much about who has the best car, it's more who can push things to the limit and make the most of that opportunity. I'm hoping when I wake up it's a dark, gloomy day because we will have a better chance then."
Norris pointed to Antonelli's impressive long run pace in the dry on Friday as the reason he's hoping for rain, whereas the Mercedes driver says he's open to any conditions. "Hopefully, we can get off the line well, and let's see if it's going to be wet or dry," said Antonelli. "In the dry, I felt very good over a single lap and on the long run, especially in FP2. So let's see. I'm looking forward to it."
Mercedes have a big opportunity to win the Constructors' Championship with Antonelli starting in second and Russell in seventh, while the two Ferraris are outside of the top 13. If Mercedes outscore Ferrari by three points or more, they will seal their ninth title since 2014.
Russell is hoping for rain following his impressive qualifying. "I felt really confident in the rain. I think my pace, along with Lando's, was by far the best out there," he said. "In the rain here, it's always a challenge. I hope it is wet. I feel I've got a greater chance if it's wet."
What happens next
The São Paulo Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, 8 November 2026, at 14:00 local time. After Brazil, the championship moves to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, scheduled for 19–21 November 2026.
Sky Sports F1 will broadcast Grand Prix Sunday coverage from 3:30pm on Sunday, with the race itself at 5pm, followed by Chequered Flag reaction at 7pm and Ted's Notebook concluding the day's coverage at 8pm.
