Kimi Antonelli kicked off his race weekend at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace Interlagos in stunning fashion by topping Friday's practice sessions at the Brazilian GP. The young Italian driver outpaced his closest rivals, including Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, to set the early pace on track.
Despite showing dominant form and leading the timesheets, the Mercedes star insists on remaining cautious regarding the true potential of Scuderia Ferrari. Based on his observations from the opening day of running, he believes their SF-26 challengers have yet to show their full hand ahead of the crucial competitive sessions.
Reflecting on his Friday performance, the Italian driver admitted that finding the right balance in low-grip conditions was tricky, but he praised his team for making substantial progress between the opening practice and the second session.
"Overall it has been a positive day and I felt good in the car, especially on single laps," Antonelli said. "The conditions were quite tricky due to the low grip level, 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."
Looking ahead at the competitive landscape, Antonelli emphasized how tight the battle at the front is shaping up to be. While acknowledging the sheer pace of McLaren and Red Bull Racing, he specifically warned about Ferrari's knack for extracting extra performance when it matters most.
"The battle at the front looks very tight," Antonelli added. "McLaren and Red Bull look strong, and we know that Ferrari often manages to find that something extra when it comes to qualifying, so I expect a really closely contested battle. At the moment the weather is very difficult to predict, so we have to be ready for anything and react quickly if conditions change."
Closing out a demanding opening day in Brazil, the rising star noted that he is fully focused on taking things session by session. Carrying lessons learned from the previous rounds, he aims to maintain his momentum and secure a strong grid position.
"After the emotions of Mexico, I'm simply focusing on each session as it comes this weekend, but so far I'm enjoying it," Antonelli concluded. "I hope we can take another step forward, put ourselves in a good position for qualifying, and keep this feeling going."
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