Winners & losers from F1 2026 Brazilian GP Friday practice
The Race • • sports
Key Points:
- Ferrari struggled in Friday practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix, finishing 6th and 7th for the first time this season, with Charles Leclerc describing the car's balance as one of the worst he's felt and the team acknowledging significant work needed on the setup.
- McLaren showed strong performance with their upgrade package, securing 2nd and 5th positions in practice, and drivers noted improvements in car balance and competitiveness, though qualifying remains a key focus.
- Young driver Gabriele Mini impressed by setting the seventh-fastest time in FP1 for Alpine, demonstrating both speed and a clear determination to improve despite some minor errors.
- Kimi Antonelli, fresh off his world championship win, showed no signs of complacency by dominating practice sessions, positioning Mercedes strongly for qualifying and the remainder of the season.
- Colton Herta successfully secured his F1 superlicence by completing sufficient laps in FP1 without penalties, ending a long eligibility saga and allowing him to focus fully on racing.
