Friday saw the newly crowned Formula 1 world champion Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes and McLaren's Lando Norris, who was dethroned, setting the pace on Friday.

Norris, last year's Sao Paulo Grand Prix winner, made an encouraging start to the weekend by topping the opening Free Practice 1 session at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

Lando Norris - F1

The McLaren driver clocked a fastest lap of 1:11.717, edging Antonelli by just 0.082 seconds, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished third, 0.236 seconds off the pace.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also showed encouraging pace, finishing fourth, ahead of Mercedes' George Russell and Red Bull's Isack Hadjar.

The opening session also provided an opportunity for several young drivers to gain valuable Formula 1 experience, with six rookie drivers taking to the track in place of regular competitors.

New Haas driver, Rafael Camara, of Brazil getting his first outing in F1 days after taking over Esteban Ocon's seat - F1

Among them was Brazilian Rafael Camara, who made his Formula 1 debut in front of his home supporters for Haas. The youngster finished 18th, while fellow Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto ended the session eighth for Audi.

However, the session was not without its interruptions. Freddie Slater suffered a gearbox failure in the Audi, bringing out the red flag, while Williams' Alex Albon experienced a power steering problem late in the session.

Antonelli, meanwhile, turned the tables in the second practice session, showing why he is the newly crowned world champion.

Lewis Hamilton - F1

The Mercedes driver produced a blistering lap of 1:10.763 to finish fastest, with Norris second, 0.253 seconds behind. Verstappen again occupied third place, while Russell finished fourth.

Oscar Piastri completed the top five, with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc sixth and seventh respectively.

Ferrari will have some work to do after both drivers reported concerns, with Leclerc experiencing a brake issue and Hamilton struggling with tyre performance.

For Antonelli, the result was another confidence boost ahead of Saturday's qualifying.

Max Verstappen was third fastest in both of the first two practice sessions - F1

Although Friday's running was largely completed in dry conditions, light drizzle towards the end of FP2 served as a reminder that the weather could yet play a significant role. Rain is forecast during the remainder of the weekend, potentially adding another dimension to Sunday's race.

The third practice session will start at 16:30 on Saturday, while the Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix gets underway at 20:00.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport