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Tasnim Chowdhury

  1. Report: Verstappen fastest in final practice

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    Red Bull's Max Verstappen during Sao Paulo Grand Prix final practiceGetty Images

    Red Bull’s Max Verstappen edged out new world champion Kimi Antonelli by just 0.025 seconds in final practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

    Lando Norris was third fastest in the upgraded McLaren, 0.131 seconds off the pace, and just 0.053secs quicker than Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell.

    Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fifth fastest while team-mate Lewis Hamilton was down in 12th after his session was cut short by an engine problem.

    Smoke poured from the cockpit of the Ferrari as Hamilton returned to the pits - and he was using a new engine which had to be fitted overnight after problems on Friday.

    Hamilton and Leclerc both already have 10-place grid penalties for the race after Ferrari fitted new engines to their cars that exceeded their allocation for the season.

    Verstappen and Russell will also be demoted with engine penalties - the Dutchman will start from the back of the grid and Russell loses five places.

  2. Listen: Sao Paulo GP Preview: Antonelli’s title parade

    Can Antonelli continue his championship celebrations with victory in Brazil?

    Between sessions, have a listen to our Sao Paulo Chequered Flag podcast preview. Harry Benjamin is joined by former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, former F1 mechanic Calum Nicholas and the BBC’s F1 correspondent Andrew Benson to look ahead to the weekend’s action and further reflect on Kimi Antonelli's title win. With plenty of other talking points to debate, we also ask whether Mercedes can wrap up the constructors’ title this weekend? What next for George Russell? And can Ferrari resolve their on-track issues between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc?

  3. Back for Qualifying at 17:30 GMT

    Time for a break.

    We have seen three different drivers top the time sheets in the practice sessions. Lando Norris in FP1, Kimi Antonelli in FP2 and now Max Verstappen in final practice.

    It looks like rain could be on the way for qualifying later.

    We will be back from 17:30 GMT to take you through the session.

    Lights go green for Q1 at 18:00.

    See you then!

  4. And the rest

    11. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

    12. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

    13. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)

    14. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

    15. Rafael Camara (Haas)

    16. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

    17. Alex Albon (Williams)

    18. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

    19. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

    20. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)

    21. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)

    22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

  5. Will front row be Antonelli and Norris?

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    It's hard to get excited about the pole battle between Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen when Verstappen is going to be starting at the back, isn't it?

    You have to say the front row at the moment looks like Antonelli and Lando Norris, also George Russell is very close. And Russell can, as we've seen, pull out good laps in qualifying. But then Russell also has a five-place grid penalty, so it does look like Antonelli and Norris on the front row.

  6. Top 10

    1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:11.622

    2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) + 0.025

    3. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.131

    4. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.184

    5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.274

    6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.313

    7. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +0.438

    8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +0.549

    9. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.591

    10. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +1.022

  7. 'Pole fight very close'

    Sam Bird
    Former Formula E driver on 5 Sports Extra 3

    Max Verstappen tops the session but he does have that grid penalty. Looking at the form book and we have to say that Kimi Antonelli is the man to beat at the moment to start the race from pole position. But who actually gets pole? It looks very, very close.

  8. Team radio - Cadillac to Perez

    Engineer: "Sergio, we saw you throw something out of your car, what was it?

    Perez: "I don't know. Something came off. I think when you put the radio cables - a little box."

  9. Sergio Perez has been on the radio to say that he has chucked a little box out of his Cadillac. I don't think you are allowed to do that.

  10. Get Involved

    Select the 'Get Involved' button to have your say

    If a driver is starting at the back of the grid due to engine change, what is the point of doing qualifying?

    Dave, Telford

  11. chequered flag

    Chequered flag

    Red Bull's Max Verstappen is the fastest driver in final practice.

    Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli is second and McLaren's Lando Norris sits in third.

    That is practice completed for now, before qualifying later. The skies have turned dark grey now, it looks like rain is on the way.

  12. Sam Bird
    Former Formula E driver on 5 Sports Extra 3

    We're just looking at that incident with Sergio Perez, and he's thrown something out of the cockpit.

    We didn't get to see what it was, but he's obviously had something on his lap and then thrown something to the side of the track. Normally the only thing that you would throw out of the cockpit is a tear-off from your helmet.

    But that was something a lot larger. I don't know whether there was a big bit it of rubber that got stuck inside the car, flipped up and landed on his lap, and he's chucked it out.

  13. Max Verstappen is back out on the track to run another lap. Can he go faster than his 1:11.622?

    The Racing Bulls duo Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson are currently seventh and eighth.

  14. Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    Just an update on Lewis Hamilton.

    I asked Ferrari to verify whether that was the new engine in Hamilton's car that he had the problem with earlier on in this session, and they have just confirmed that it was the new engine.

    I don't know any more information than that, the consequences or not, but that's not great news on the face of it.

  15. There are dark clouds looming towards the circuit. Rain may be on the radar for qualifying later. We will keep an eye out for that.

    The unsafe condition Sergio Perez has been noted for seems to be for something he chucked out of his car.

  16. Get Involved - 'injustice if Lawson isn't in F1'

    Select the 'Get Involved' button to have your say

    It would be such an injustice if Liam Lawson isn't in F1, what a job he's doing. Red Bull and Max Verstappen should also be more grateful, because without Lawon's feedback, they don't get those four wins.

    Kabitasamar, Birmingham

  17. Max Verstappen has been in the Red Bull garage, but it wasn't for a set of tyres. He has had a quick change of his balaclava.

    Sergio Perez has been noted for an unsafe condition in Turn Eight.

  18. Sam Bird
    Former Formula E driver on 5 Sports Extra 3

    Racing Bulls are definitely best of the rest this year.

  19. Lewis Hamilton has not returned to the circuit after he headed into the garage with an issue. Can Ferrari fix his car in time for qualifying?

  20. Verstappen, Antonelli & Norris look step ahead

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    Max Verstappen has just gone quickest overall, and I have to say, I'm not surprised to see the top three of Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris, because those were the three drivers yesterday who looked as though they were a little step - and we're talking small margins here - a little step ahead of everybody else.

    Verstappen, Antonelli and Norris look like the three guys who, at the moment, will be contesting pole position today.