Red Bull's Max Verstappen topped the times Saturday in the final Grand Prix practice but will start from the bottom of the grid due to changing the power unit in his car.
New champion Kimi Antonelli was second fastest just two tenths of a second behind the Dutchman as Lando Norris was third and George Russell fourth.
Both Ferrari drivers also took grid penalties for new power units as Charles Leclerc finished fifth and Lewis Hamilton down in 12th.
Brazilian debutant Rafael Camara was 15th for Haas, a place ahead of team-mate Oliver Bearman.
The session began in hot, overcast but changeable conditions with a likelihood of rain arriving and affecting qualifying later Saturday.
As the session unfolded, it was reported that Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton and Cadillac's Sergio Perez were expected to take new power unit components and therefore, like Russell, take grid penalties for Sunday's race.
Mercedes on 630 points lead Ferrari by 126 points with a maximum of 129 available after the Brazilian event – which extended its contract and place on the F1 calendar to 2035 earlier Saturday.
Mercedes therefore have to beat Ferrari by at least three points to add the constructors' title to Antonelli's drivers' title. It would be their ninth, having won eight in succession from 2014 to 2021.
Leclerc went fastest again before Verstappen and then Antonelli regained the initiative as Hamilton reported vibrations from his new power unit and pitted.
He went out again, but was soon reporting smoke from his new engine reaching the cockpit and came back to the Ferrari garage.
At this stage, Hamilton and Leclerc were set to take 10-place penalties while Verstappen and his team-mate Perez were likely to start at the back of the grid.
Most teams made a late switch to softs for some qualifying simulation runs which saw Verstappen take top spot in 1:11.622.
By now, dark clouds were looming as Perez was noted by the stewards for driving in an unsafe condition, having been seen throwing a radio cable box out of his cockpit.
Eyeing the likely wet weather ahead, Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff quipped: "It should be a great race – almost like a reverse grid race!"
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