VERSTAPPEN PIPS ANTONELLI IN FINAL PRACTICE AS HAMILTON SUFFERS ENGINE TROUBLE

Verstappen topped Brazil's final practice by two-hundredths over Antonelli, but the timesheet masks chaos up and down the grid. Five drivers face grid penalties this weekend — Verstappen, Russell, both Ferraris, and Perez — turning Sunday's race into a strategic minefield before qualifying even begins.

Hamilton's penalty became academic when his Ferrari billowed smoke mid-session, forcing him to skip his qualifying sim entirely. Engine trouble at Interlagos, with penalties already baked in, leaves the seven-time champion staring at a nightmare weekend.

Haas rookie Rafael Camara quietly impressed with P15, a tenth quicker than Bearman in his first FP3. Meanwhile Perez, another penalty victim, is under investigation for tossing a radio component from his Cadillac mid-session — an odd footnote to Cadillac's back-of-grid showing.

Dark clouds rolled in as the session closed, threatening rain for qualifying. With half the sharp end already penalized, wet conditions would scramble the grid beyond recognition.