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Formula 1 Brazilian GP

Brazilian GP final practice and qualifying

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Welcome back to Autosport's live coverage of the Brazilian Grand Prix. It's looking much cooler and cloudier ahead of the final practice session, which is coming up shortly.
Lewis Hamilton had the edge on title rival Nico Rosberg in practice yesterday, but Rosberg expects today's cooler weather will mean a car set-up reset, which could help his cause in trying to wrap up the championship with a win this weekend.

Brazilian GP practice: Lewis Hamilton leads Nico Rosberg in F1 FP2

Lewis Hamilton edged out Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Nico Rosberg to finish quickest in second practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix

Brazilian GP practice: Lewis Hamilton leads Nico Rosberg in F1 FP2
The cars of McLaren-Honda drivers Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso have both had planned engine changes ahead of this session. Alonso suffered an ERS water leak in FP2 that ultimately led to him parking up and playing cameraman at Turn 3. Button also lost track time to a gearbox temperature problem.
Alonso was so unimpressed by what he saw while watching the action trackside, he suggested F1 fans should be paid to watch.

Fernando Alonso: Formula 1 should pay fans to watch boring cars

Fernando Alonso believes fans should be paid to watch Formula 1 as viewing second Brazilian Grand Prix practice from the trackside left him falling asleep

Fernando Alonso: Formula 1 should pay fans to watch boring cars
Ian Parkes
After the scorching heat of Friday afternoon for FP2 when temperatures hit 31C, and the track was a blistering 52C at its peak, we've very different conditions for final practice. There was heavy overnight rain, with the track currently drying out, and with the temperatures starkly different as it's only 19C as we approach the start of FP3, while the circuit temp is just 24C. With a blanket of cloud over Interlagos, further rain is forecast at times throughout the day that will hopefully help spice up the penultimate qualifying session of the year.
Ferrari broke curfew working overnight on its cars. Kimi Raikkonen suffered a brake problem in FP2, and Sebastian Vettel said the Scuderia was pushing "at the maximum" despite being well off the pace of Mercedes.

Vettel: Ferrari "pushing at the maximum" despite large Mercedes gap

Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari was "pushing at the maximum" in Brazilian GP Friday practice, despite ending the first day well off the pace of Mercedes

Vettel: Ferrari
Green flag
Final practice is underway. The Ferrari drivers head straight out on full wet tyres.
Radio Comms
"Wet. No standing water. Just wet," reports Vettel after his first lap of the Interlagos circuit.
Ian Parkes
Following technical problems for McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in second practice, both have had overnight power unit changes ahead of FP3, but without any penalties. Alonso sustained an MGU-H water leak in FP2 that forced him to pull off track an hour into the session. As per the weekend schedule, he has taken on board PU number 8 that was previously used in Austin. As for Button, whose running in FP2 was cut short by rising temperatures from the exhaust area that is still under investigation by the team, his planned PU change sees him running the system used last time out in Mexico.
Radio Comms
"We should be on slicks," suggests Hamilton as he completes a slow exploratory lap on wets.
Radio Comms
Marcus Ericsson reports part-throttle misfires with his Sauber's Ferrari engine as he exits the pits.
No flying laps early on here, just some installation laps to check conditions. Neither Red Bull driver has ventured out yet, nor the Force Indias, Jolyon Palmer and Esteban Ocon. Alonso's McLaren is still up on stands.
Hamilton's decided to brave it on slicks. Soft Pirellis fitted to his Mercedes as he heads back out.
Hamilton sets a competitive first sector time, suggesting the first part of the track is in decent shape.
Stopwatch
Hamilton crosses the line in 1m20.910s, which is around 8-9s off the dry pace set yesterday. Looks as though the middle part of the track is very slippery, as that's where he lost the bulk of the time.
Stopwatch
Hamilton makes a better fist of his second flier, 1m16.980s that time around.
Manor's Pascal Wehrlein and Williams's Valtteri Bottas also fancy a go on slicks. they venture out to join Hamilton as the rain continues to fall.
Radio Comms
"The car is better than yesterday, so quite happy," reports Wehrlein, who was not happy with his car's brakes yesterday.
Mercedes call Hamilton in, and Wehrlein is back in the pits too, so just Bottas and Williams team-mate Massa out on track at present.
Stopwatch
Bottas leaps to the top of the times with a 1m15.048s lap
Yellow flag
Umbrella on the circuit in the Senna S!
Radio Comms
The track is clear again as Massa presses on with his run.
Stopwatch
Bottas improves to a 1m13.942s best, before Massa jumps to the top of the times with a 1m13.848s. Williams one-two right now.
Ocon completes his first flying lap of the session for Manor, just under three tenths quicker than Palmer, both faster than Hamilton's earlier effort.
Verstappen briefly goes third fastest on the medium tyre for Red Bull, before Magnussen's soft-tyred Renault and Wehrlein's Manor jump him. He gets them back on the next lap though.

By: Geoff Creighton

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