Hamilton set for Brazil grid penalty after tough Ferrari Friday

Lewis Hamilton is set to take a grid penalty for the Brazilian Grand Prix after Ferrari's weakest Friday of 2026 so far. Hamilton was the faster Ferrari in the second practice session, but he was 0.450s slower than Kimi Antonelli's benchmark, with team-mate Charles Leclerc almost three tenths further back. A deployment issue on the start/finish straight explained much of the gap.

Ferrari's long-run pace also looked fourth-best, with Leclerc more than half a second per lap slower than Antonelli on the same tyre. Leclerc said the car "in the corners just felt probably one of the worst Friday feelings of the season", and team boss Fred Vasseur admitted there was a lot of work to do on the balance.

The Race understands Ferrari has planned engine component changes after the session, which would bring the grid penalty. Ferrari needs to avoid being outscored by Mercedes by three points in Brazil to prevent the constructors' championship being sealed this weekend.