Kimi Antonelli’s F1 São Paulo GP Sprint Race saw him finish P2, behind championship leader Lando Norris and ahead of teammate George Russell. The Mercedes rookie started second on the grid alongside pole-sitter Norris at Interlagos. After a red flag restart initially caused by Oscar Piastri’s crash, Antonelli mounted a serious challenge for victory. He closed rapidly on Norris in the final laps, getting into DRS range multiple times. Despite the pressure, Norris held on for victory, with Antonelli securing a well-deserved second place.
Tricky conditions at Interlagos
Following his strong qualifying performance, Antonelli reflected on the challenging nature of his São Paulo GP Sprint Race. The conditions at Interlagos proved particularly difficult, especially during the opening stint before the red flag. “It was a very fun race,” Antonelli said after the race. “You know, it was a very tricky condition, especially at the beginning.”
The Mercedes rookie successfully kept teammate George Russell at bay after the restart. Russell attempted an ambitious move into turn one but could not capitalize on the opportunity. Antonelli then set his sights on hunting down Norris for the lead.
“But we tried to keep the pressure on Lando, and yeah, just came short,” he explained.
Tyre degradation became a critical factor in Antonelli’s São Paulo GP Sprint Race challenge. “Tyre deg was quite big and wind was picking up during the race. So it was a struggle,” Antonelli revealed. Despite these difficulties, the 19-year-old managed his tyres effectively. “It was a fun race,” he concluded.
High confidence ahead of GP Qualifying
Antonelli’s São Paulo GP Sprint Race result boosted his confidence ahead of Saturday’s main qualifying session. The Mercedes rookie came close to securing pole position in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying, missing out by mere hundredths.
When asked about his prospects for GP qualifying, Antonelli was optimistic but realistic. “You know, the confidence is high,” Antonelli stated. However, he acknowledged the competitive nature of the current field at Interlagos.
“But, you know, the field is so it’s so tight,” he continued. “You know, at the end yesterday, it was really hard to put a lap together. And I believe everyone did a few little mistakes.”
Looking ahead, the young Italian remained focused on maximizing his performance. “So we’ll see today. We’ll see today what we can do, but hopefully we can achieve the same result or even better.“
With his São Paulo GP Sprint Race performance behind him, Antonelli now turns his focus to challenging for pole in qualifying.
