Antonelli has set the pace all weekend in São Paulo, topping FP2 and showing strong long‑run speed. Mercedes looks strongest heading into Sunday, while Ferrari endured a rough Friday.
In qualifying sims Antonelli beat Lando Norris by 0.253s and Max Verstappen by 0.259s, but the later race sims gave a clearer picture of Sunday’s chances.
Different stint lengths and tyre choices matter here; Brazil’s high wear means a few laps can shift average times, and once adjusted Antonelli still led the long runs.
The Mercedes rookie completed an impressive 20‑lap soft‑tyre stint. teammate George Russell was second, yet 0.311s per lap slower, with Verstappen another 0.474s back.
Antonelli sees room for improvement, but Mercedes remain optimistic
Antonelli said the session felt good but he still sees room to improve his race pace.
“It wasn’t bad,” he smiled. “I felt strong over a lap, but the long run needs a bit more work. Overall I’m happy and ready for tomorrow.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
Deputy team principal Bradley Lord praised the start, noting both drivers still fought understeer, which faded after the Malaysia upgrade.
Lord believes Mercedes’ long‑run pace matches Norris and Verstappen, and sees Ferrari a half‑step behind, though he expects them to improve as temperatures rise.
Mercedes particularly strong in the second and third sectors
Sector analysis shows Mercedes lagging in sector 1, where Ferrari initially posted strong times.
In sectors 2 and 3, however, Mercedes excelled, proving the car balances well on straights and corners.
George Russell – Mercedes; Andrea Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
Verstappen lost time to Mercedes in every sector, so Red Bull has no single weak spot; McLaren showed a similar pattern with Norris unable to pinpoint a deficit area.
Norris admitted Mercedes looked stronger in the second session.
“FP1 was a pleasant surprise. In FP2 we were about two‑tenths off every lap,” he said.
He’s encouraged by recent upgrades, which already showed effect despite being only partially fitted; the full package arrives Saturday.
Ferrari in trouble: More than a second off the pace
Friday’s biggest shock was Ferrari’s lackluster pace, with Hamilton 0.45s off the leaders on the short São Paulo layout.
Leclerc’s adjusted long‑run was 1.072s slower than Antonelli, Hamilton 1.090s, leaving Ferrari stuck in the upper midfield fight.
Dino Beganovic – Ferrari
Ferrari still holds sector 1 but drops heavily in sector 2’s corners and can only match Aston Martin on the straights in sector 3.
Team principal Frédéric Vasseur said the squad wrestles with balance and energy deployment.
“We had energy‑deployment issues and need fine‑tuning. He lost a few tenths on the straight, but it’s not a disaster,” Vasseur explained.
From his view, the key problem is Ferrari still lacks the car’s desired feel.
“Balance is still off; the asphalt feels opposite to last week, creating a lot of work,” he added.
Racing Bulls, Audi, and Alpine set for a close midfield battle
Further down, a tight three‑way fight brews between Racing Bulls, Audi and Alpine, where tiny differences could decide positions on the weekend.
Arvid Lindblad – Racing Bulls
Gabriel Bortoleto was the fastest outside the leaders in FP2, impressing at home with an adjusted deficit of 0.933s per lap to Antonelli in his Audi.
Liam Lawson was 0.925s behind in the Racing Bulls, while Pierre Gasly kept Alpine in contention at 1.041s off, promising a close battle.
Haas, Williams, Cadillac and Aston Martin further adrift
Behind them, Oliver Bearman lost 1.618s per lap in the Haas, with Alexander Albon 1.770s off in the Williams.
Cadillac isn’t out yet; Pérez was 1.919s off, ahead of Sainz’s Williams and both Aston Martin cars, while rookie Rafael Camara also lagged behind Cadillac.
Aston Martin suffered a tough Friday, unable to offset its straight‑line disadvantage elsewhere, ending 2.321s per lap slower than Antonelli on long runs.
High tyre degradation points towards another two‑stop race
Tyres will be crucial Sunday. Pirelli brings compounds one step softer than last year: this year’s C3‑C5 replace last year’s C2‑C4, making last year’s soft now a medium.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
Degradation averaged about 0.15s per lap in long runs, a big factor at Interlagos where the race often needs two stops.
Antonelli’s 20‑lap soft stint shines amid high wear, yet all three compounds could still play a role on Sunday.
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– The Team