Mercedes enjoyed a promising start to the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, with Kimi Antonelli topping the timesheet in the second practice session and George Russell showing competitive pace. Both drivers and team management reflected on a productive yet challenging Friday marked by tricky low-grip track conditions.
Strong Practice Performance for Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli hit the track in FP1 as a World Champion and immediately showed strong form on both medium and soft tyres, finishing less than a tenth off the pace. He improved further in the afternoon, claiming the top spot in FP2 with a 0.253-second advantage over the rest of the field. Meanwhile, George Russell completed a standard programme as he prepares to serve a five-place grid penalty on Sunday for taking a new internal combustion engine. Russell finished fifth in FP1 and fourth in FP2, staying right in the mix near the front.
Antonelli described his day as positive, noting that he felt comfortable in the car during single-lap runs despite low grip levels and tricky balance conditions. He anticipates a tight battle at the front involving McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari, while also keeping an eye on unpredictable weather.
Russell called his Friday solid, explaining that his long-run pace felt stronger than his single-lap performance. He highlighted that the team needs to eliminate some understeer overnight to close the gap at the top. Despite his upcoming grid drop, Russell emphasized the importance of securing a strong qualifying position to aid his charge forward on Sunday.
Engineering Direction and Areas for Improvement
Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin stated that the session was one of the team’s better Fridays regarding raw pace, though balance improvements remain necessary. Shovlin noted that FP1 provided contrasting data between the two drivers, allowing the team to combine the best setup elements for the afternoon.
Despite the encouraging speed, Shovlin pointed out ongoing difficulties with brake locking and finding a better compromise between high-speed rear grip and low-speed front-end agility. The team plans to review overnight data to make the car easier to handle ahead of qualifying.
