Max Verstappen topped the timesheets in Free Practice 3 at the São Paulo Grand Prix, narrowly beating Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris but with a number of leading drivers facing power unit-related grid penalties qualifying at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace could come down to a contest between the incoming and outgoing world champions.
Verstappen posted a fastest lap of 1:11.622 on the soft tyre to finish just 0.025s ahead of Antonelli, with McLaren’s Lando Norris third, 0.131s off the pace. George Russell and Charles Leclerc completed the top five, with the leading four teams covered by just 0.274s.
However, Ferrari have exceeded the season allowance for the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) on both Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars, earning respective 10-place drops.
Red Bull, meanwhile, have gone over the limit for the ICE, Turbo Charger and Exhaust on Verstappen’s car, earning a back-of-the-grid start after he amassed 30 places worth of penalties.
In another change, 2026 newcomers Cadillac have given Sergio Perez a new Ferrari ICE, Turbo Charger and Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K), which also leads to a grip drop for the Mexican.
With the threat of rain hanging over Interlagos, drivers were keen to maximise their running during the 60-minute session, although it was not until the final 15 minutes that the field switched to soft tyres for qualifying simulations.
Nico Hülkenberg was among the first to leave the pit lane, the Audi driver finally getting his first meaningful running of the weekend after rookie Freddie Slater’s mechanical problems in FP1 had prevented him from participating in the second session on Friday.
Mercedes’ Antonelli initially established the benchmark on medium tyres, recording a 1:12.497 before improving to 1:12.214. The Italian, who reported an issue with his steering wheel, held a narrow advantage over Verstappen, while Leclerc was third fastest.
Verstappen, meanwhile, complained of heavy steering to the right and ran wide at Turn 4 while attempting to improve his time. The Dutchman nevertheless remained within striking distance of the Mercedes driver as the field continued to work through their medium-tyre programmes.
There was early trouble for Lance Stroll, whose Aston Martin developed an apparent Energy Recovery System (ERS) problem after just seven laps. The Canadian was instructed to return to the garage, where his session came to an early conclusion.
Ferrari also encountered difficulties, with Lewis Hamilton reporting unusual vibrations from his power unit and excessive engine braking. The seven-time World Champion returned to the pits before heading out again, only to report smoke in the cockpit and a concerning engine noise. His session subsequently ended with approximately 25 minutes remaining.
When the field switched to the soft compound for their final runs, Russell briefly moved below the 1:12 barrier before Norris, Antonelli and Verstappen successively took over at the top of the order.
Verstappen ultimately produced a 1:11.622 to secure first place, with Antonelli unable to improve sufficiently on his final attempt. Norris finished third ahead of Russell, while Leclerc and Oscar Piastri placed fifth and sixth respectively.
The Racing Bulls pair of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson occupied seventh and eighth, with Lindblad finishing 0.111s ahead of his team-mate. Isack Hadjar was ninth for Red Bull, ahead of Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, who completed the top 10.
Pierre Gasly was 11th for Alpine, ahead of Hamilton and Hülkenberg, while Franco Colapinto finished 14th. Haas rookie Rafael Câmara was 15th, 0.128s clear of team-mate Oliver Bearman.
Alexander Albon, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz followed, with Cadillac’s Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas in 20th and 21st. Stroll completed the classification.
As the final practice session concluded, rain began to fall over Interlagos, leaving teams with a potentially changing set of conditions to consider ahead of qualifying.
2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Free Practice 3
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:11.622 19 216.587
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:11.647 0.025 21 216.511
3 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.753 0.131 22 216.191
4 George Russell Mercedes 1:11.806 0.184 22 216.032
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.896 0.274 30 215.761
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.935 0.313 20 215.644
7 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:12.060 0.438 25 215.270
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:12.171 0.549 20 214.939
9 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:12.213 0.591 24 214.814
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:12.644 1.022 24 213.540
11 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:12.644 1.022 26 213.540
12 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:12.833 1.211 7 212.985
13 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:12.865 1.243 27 212.892
14 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:12.925 1.303 25 212.717
15 Rafael Câmara Haas/Ferrari 1:12.981 1.359 19 212.553
16 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:13.109 1.487 20 212.181
17 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:13.147 1.525 25 212.071
18 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:13.171 1.549 23 212.002
19 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:13.303 1.681 21 211.620
20 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:13.573 1.951 32 210.843
21 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:13.722 2.100 19 210.417
22 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:14.766 3.144 7 207.479
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