Max Verstappen set the pace in the final practice session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, edging newly crowned World Champion Kimi Antonelli by 0.025 seconds.
The Red Bull driver set a time of 1:11.622 at Interlagos, ahead of the young Italian, while Lando Norris finished third, 0.131 seconds behind the Dutchman.
Verstappen's performance came despite reporting problems with the steering, which he described as heavy when turning right.
Antonelli also encountered early difficulties, reporting problems with his steering wheel and upshifts in the opening minutes of the session.
There were reports of potential rain, but there was nothing to cause any disruption to proceedings.
Lewis Hamilton's session ended prematurely after reporting strange vibrations with his engine, while Lance Stroll was also forced back to the garage.
The opening 40 minutes were largely spent on the medium tyres before teams switched to the soft compound in the last 20 minutes.
George Russell, who ended the session fourth, was among the first to set a representative soft tyre time, with the McLaren drivers and Antonelli following him soon after. However, no one could beat Verstappen, who, despite starting from the back of the grid due to an engine penalty, still showed the pace he and Red Bull may have come Sunday.
Penalties could shake up qualifying
Verstappen will start Sunday's race from the back of the grid after an engine change. The Ferrari duo of Hamilton and Leclerc will also have penalties of their own, both receiving ↗︎10-place grid penalties.
The penalties may take the sting out of qualifying, but it could create opportunities for drivers further down the order, including Liam Lawson, Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad.
