Strong Start for Mercedes as Antonelli Shines on Debut Friday in São Paulo
November 7, 2025 – São Paulo, Brazil
Mercedes enjoyed a promising start to the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, with young rookie Kimi Antonelli securing P2 and George Russell taking P4 in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying session at Interlagos. The team’s solid performance sets up a strong position ahead of Saturday’s Sprint and the all-important Grand Prix qualifying later in the day.
The weekend format allowed only a single hour of free practice, leaving little room for error. Both drivers made the most of the session, running the C2 Hard and C3 Medium compounds while balancing high-fuel runs and qualifying simulations. Russell ended the session sixth fastest, while Antonelli—experiencing Interlagos for the first time—finished in tenth.
Despite limited track time, the 18-year-old Italian impressed in Sprint Qualifying. Calm and composed under pressure, Antonelli steadily improved through each session, reaching SQ3 alongside his teammate. On the mandatory Soft tyres, he delivered an outstanding lap that placed him on the front row—just shy of pole position after a small mistake in Turn 10.
“SQ1 was more stressful than I expected, but the car felt good and I managed to find my rhythm through SQ2 and SQ3,” Antonelli said. “My first lap in SQ3 was really strong, but I made an error that probably cost me pole. Still, P2 is a great spot to start, and I’m grateful to the team in Brackley and Brixworth for giving us such a competitive car.”
Russell echoed his teammate’s optimism, emphasizing the importance of consistency in the fight for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“P2 and P4 are great results for us,” Russell commented. “The pace was strong, and the balance felt good throughout the session. The forecast suggests we might see some rain tomorrow, but I’m confident we can perform in any conditions and score valuable points in the Sprint.”
With rain potentially mixing up the order on Saturday, Mercedes looks well positioned to challenge for top honors. The 15-lap Sprint race will kick off the day’s action, followed by the traditional Grand Prix qualifying later in the afternoon — and both Antonelli and Russell appear ready to fight at the sharp end of the grid.
Sprint Qualifying Result
It was a closely fought Sprint Qualifying session at Interlagos, with Lando Norris taking pole position for McLaren thanks to an impressive 1:09.243 lap. Just behind him, Kimi Antonelli continued to turn heads in his first Brazilian outing, securing P2 for Mercedes-AMG — narrowly missing out on pole by less than a tenth of a second.
Oscar Piastri made it an all-McLaren top three with P3, while George Russell placed P4, ensuring both Mercedes cars will start near the front for Saturday’s Sprint. Fernando Alonso rounded out the top five for Aston Martin, followed closely by Max Verstappen in sixth for Red Bull.
Further down the order, Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) took P7 and P8 respectively, while rookie Isack Hadjar impressed in P9 for Racing Bulls. Nico Hülkenberg completed the top ten for Sauber.
