New champion Antonelli tops Brazil practice
Source: Sky Sports ↗ (cross-verified by 2 outlets — full list below)
Kimi Antonelli, the sport’s newly crowned world champion, topped the second practice session at the São Paulo Grand Prix, recording the only sub‑71‑second lap with a benchmark time of 1:10.763. His performance placed him two‑tenths of a second ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who had led the first practice, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who was third fastest. The session also saw George Russell, penalised with a five‑place grid drop for a fresh engine, finish fourth in the Mercedes, while Oscar Piastri took fifth for the second McLaren. Ferrari struggled on short runs, with Lewis Hamilton sixth and Charles Leclerc seventh after the Frenchman returned from Monaco following the birth of his daughter Bianca.
The day highlighted McLaren’s progress after introducing an upgrade to their MCL40, with Norris expressing optimism that the changes had delivered a “positive day” and helped the team maintain a trend of improvement seen in Mexico. In contrast, Ferrari’s difficulties were underscored by a recent first‑lap clash in Mexico that prompted a team meeting led by principal Frédéric Vasseur, and the French duo’s off‑pace runs suggested lingering issues. Audi’s rookie Freddie Slater suffered a technical failure that halted his participation early, while teammate Gabriel Bortoleto, the sole‑running Audi, managed eighth fastest, and rookie Haas driver Rafael Câmara, making his debut on home soil, finished 16th despite a brief stewards’ inquiry after impeding Leclerc.
Looking ahead, the weekend’s weather forecast predicts rain, adding another variable for teams as they prepare for qualifying at 6 pm and the race on Sunday. Antonelli, relieved of championship pressure, said he was “trying to enjoy it more” and noted the high degradation and low grip at Interlagos, emphasizing the need to fine‑tune car balance for race conditions. McLaren, sitting 17 points behind third‑placed Red Bull, will aim to build on the momentum from their upgrades, while Ferrari will need to resolve their short‑run pace to stay competitive, and the debutants—Bortoleto, Câmara and the returning Leclerc—will look to capitalize on any opportunities the unpredictable Brazilian weather may present.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Economies far from the headline can still catch the aftershocks.
- ▶The ripples can spread across borders, nudging growth forecasts here and there.
🏙️Local Economyhigh impact
What this means for you
- ▶Public transport nearby can see a healthy surge in fares.
- ▶Pubs, restaurants and transport near the venue tend to enjoy a big-match boost.
🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Central banks watch moments like this closely, so keep an eye on savings rates.
- ▶Rate-setters usually take their time digesting this kind of news.
❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Sport typically nudges people towards a more active week.
- ▶Watching a big match together can be its own kind of stress relief.
💷Wealthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Money set aside for the future can afford to sit tight through this.
- ▶Savings and portfolios can see short-lived ups and downs after news like this.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶A cooling or warming market usually takes months to fully show up in prices.
- ▶Anyone mid-purchase might want to keep an eye on how this unfolds.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.