Andrea Kimi Antonelli has warned that Ferrari could find additional performance when qualifying begins at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, despite Mercedes dominating Friday’s practice sessions at Interlagos. The newly crowned Formula 1 world champion topped the timesheets ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, but believes Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc should not be underestimated.
Ferrari struggled to match the leading teams during the opening day in São Paulo, with the SF-26 cars currently some way off the pace. However, Antonelli expects a closely contested qualifying session, particularly with unpredictable weather conditions potentially influencing the competitive order.
Kimi Antonelli pleased with Mercedes progress in Brazilian GP practice
Andrea Kimi Antonelli emerged as the fastest driver during Friday’s running at Interlagos, continuing his impressive form following his recent world championship triumph. The Mercedes driver was particularly satisfied with his single-lap performance, although he acknowledged that the changing track conditions had made the car difficult to balance.
Reflecting on the first two practice sessions, Antonelli explained:
“Overall, it was a positive day and I felt comfortable in the car, especially on the single laps. Conditions were quite tricky because of the low grip levels, and it wasn’t easy to find the right balance, but I think we made good progress between FP1 and FP2. There is still room for improvement, both in the car and in my driving style.”
Mercedes’ performance made it the early reference point at Interlagos, although the Italian believes further improvements remain possible before qualifying.
The drivers’ performances across the two Friday sessions can also be explored through the F1 practice and long-run analysis, including comparisons of practice pace and lap-time consistency.
Kimi Antonelli expects Ferrari to find extra pace in Brazilian GP qualifying
Despite finishing ahead of the competition, Andrea Kimi Antonelli remains cautious about the threat from Ferrari. The Mercedes driver believes the Scuderia has a tendency to extract additional performance when qualifying arrives, even after difficult practice sessions.
He also identified McLaren and Red Bull as strong contenders, suggesting that Friday’s classification may not fully reflect the battle for the leading grid positions.
“The fight at the front looks very close,” Antonelli added. “McLaren and Red Bull look strong, and we know Ferrari can often find that little bit extra when qualifying comes around, so I’m expecting a really tight battle. At the moment, it’s very difficult to make predictions about the weather, so we need to be ready for anything and react quickly if conditions change.”
His assessment offers some encouragement for Ferrari following a challenging start to the weekend. Charles Leclerc has already highlighted the difficulties experienced with the Ferrari SF-26 during Brazilian GP FP2, but Antonelli is not prepared to dismiss the Italian team’s chances of improving.
The possibility of changing conditions also adds uncertainty to the qualifying battle, with teams needing to respond quickly if the weather develops differently from their expectations.
Antonelli focused on qualifying after emotional Mexican GP weekend
Having experienced the emotions of the Mexican Grand Prix, where he secured the world championship, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is approaching the Brazilian weekend with a session-by-session mentality.
The Italian is enjoying his time behind the wheel and hopes Mercedes can make further progress before the fight for grid positions begins.
“After the emotions of Mexico, I’m simply focusing on each session as it comes this weekend, but so far I’m enjoying myself,” Antonelli concluded. “I hope we can take another step forward, put ourselves in a good position for qualifying and keep this feeling.”
Mercedes therefore heads towards qualifying with encouraging momentum, but Antonelli expects serious competition from McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari.
With the weather remaining difficult to predict, the final preparations could prove particularly important. The remaining sessions and their start times are available in the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix weekend schedule.
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