Hamilton set for Brazil grid penalty after Ferrari's worst 2026 Friday
Lewis Hamilton is set to take a grid penalty for this weekend’s Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix after Ferrari’s weakest Friday of 2026 so far.
Hamilton was the faster Ferrari in FP2, but he was 0.450s slower than Kimi Antonelli’s benchmark, with team-mate Charles Leclerc almost another three tenths adrift - a deficit mostly explained by a deployment issue on the start/finish straight.
Ferrari’s long run pace looked firmly fourth-best, too, with Leclerc’s long-run over half a second per lap slower than Antonelli on the same tyre.
FP2 long run pace
Antonelli 1m15.331s (S)
Norris 1m15.497s (H)
Verstappen 1m15.501s (M)
Piastri 1m15.520s (S)
Hadjar 1m15.569s (S)
Russell 1m15.657s (S)
Leclerc 1m15.872s (S)
Hamilton 1m16.027s (M)
The Ferrari is weak where you’d expect - the long full-throttle run from Juncao to the timing line - as Hamilton (red line) ships three tenths to Antonelli (blue line) in that section alone.
Hamilton was also 11km/h slower than Antonelli on the second straight before they reach the Turn 4 left-hander, Descida de Lago, losing over a tenth and a half there.
But Ferrari’s usual prowess in corners isn’t fully present in Brazil either, as Leclerc confirmed after FP2, saying the “car in the corners just felt probably one of the worst Friday feelings of the season”.
Team boss Fred Vasseur admitted there was “a lot of work to do on the balance” overnight.
The Race understands Hamilton is set for a grid penalty as Ferrari has planned engine component changes post-FP2.
Hamilton famously bounced back from a five-place grid penalty to win the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix from 10th on the grid, having charged from 20th to fifth in the sprint race.
George Russell already has a five-place grid penalty confirmed.
Team-mate Leclerc may get a grid penalty at the next round in Las Vegas for the engine component changes.
Ferrari needs to avoid being outscored by Mercedes by three points in Brazil to avoid the constructors' championship being sealed this weekend.
That's something that looks tricky after Friday as world champion Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes was quickest on the short and long runs.
