Esteban Ocon managed to set the fastest time during the second free practice session of the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Frenchman was almost two tenths faster on the softest compound than Sergio Perez, who had to settle for second place.
With the sprint race in mind, the drivers had one last chance to prepare, with the longruns also back on the programme. It made for mixed results. For instance, Max Verstappen finished in fifth place, while Carlos Sainz was even 11th.
Fernando Alonso did an excellent job of finishing fourth, which put him one place behind George Russell. His teammate Lewis Hamilton finished sixth. Pierre Gasly, Mick Schumacher, Kevin Magnussen and Lando Norris collectively closed the top ten.
Big task for Ferrari
Ferrari was still searching. The team saw Sainz finish just outside the top half of the rankings, while Charles Leclerc was even thirteenth. Logan Sargeant was allowed to step in for Williams to get used to the feeling of being a Formula 1 driver and took last place.