News Summary
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli reported an unusual rear-end instability after switching to soft tyres during the São Paulo Grand Prix.
- The Mercedes driver lost the lead to Lando Norris after spinning at Turn 1 and eventually finished fifth, despite showing race-winning pace on intermediates.
- Mercedes engineering director Andrew Shovlin confirmed that George Russell experienced similar balance concerns, leaving the team investigating the cause.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli revealed that an unexplained handling problem affected his Mercedes immediately after switching to slick tyres during the São Paulo Grand Prix, contributing to the spin that cost him the chance of victory at Interlagos. The newly crowned Formula 1 world champion said the rear of his W17 became unexpectedly unstable, particularly through high-speed left-hand corners.
Antonelli finished fifth on Sunday after leading the opening stages and establishing a substantial advantage over Lando Norris. The Italian lost control at the Senna S shortly after his first stop for soft tyres, allowing the McLaren driver to take the lead.
Mercedes has yet to identify the cause. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin confirmed that George Russell also reported unusual balance problems during the race, suggesting the issue was not confined to Antonelli’s car.
Antonelli describes unexpected instability after tyre change
Antonelli made an excellent start from second on the grid, overtaking Norris before the first corner and building a lead of more than five seconds during the opening stint on intermediate tyres.
The Mercedes driver retained the advantage through the first round of pit stops, although Norris had reduced the gap by switching to slicks earlier.
However, Antonelli noticed a change in the car’s behaviour after fitting the soft compound.
“We were on for the win up to that point. Also in the lead, once I was able to get some temperature I was getting to the rhythm,” Antonelli said after the race.
“But yeah, the spin came which still is something I need to look at because I don’t know why I lost the rear so quickly as well.”
“Like no warning, nothing. But already to be fair when I put the soft, I felt something weird with the car. So, we need to check what happened but on the other hand yeah, shame because we lost the race there.”
Antonelli spun at Turn 1 on lap 20, losing the lead to Norris. A second mistake at the same corner four laps later further compromised his position, allowing Max Verstappen to move ahead.
The Italian also reported that the car appeared to be steering by itself, although Mercedes’ initial telemetry checks did not reveal an obvious problem.
Mercedes investigates possible rear geometry issue
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Antonelli provided further details about the instability, explaining that it appeared most noticeably in left-hand corners.
“We need to check something with the geometry of the car, of the rear, because I had this issue only in left corners,” he said.
“So especially at the high speed was when I was feeling it the most.”
“And the rear felt very unstable, even in coming into the finish line in the left kink, the rear was very loose, which was weird.”
The comments raised questions about whether a mechanical or setup-related issue had affected the car after the tyre change. However, Antonelli did not identify a confirmed component failure, and Mercedes has not established the cause.
The spin also damaged his tyres, making the remainder of the stint considerably more difficult.
“We need to check something in the car to see if anything happened. But it was a very odd feeling. And then when I spun, the tyres were gone; all four wheels flat spotted.”
“Only when then I put on the second set, we got back to pace. It was a shame.”
The recovery in performance after the second tyre change reinforced Antonelli’s belief that the car had been capable of fighting for victory before the incident.
Shovlin confirms Russell suffered similar balance problems
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin acknowledged that the team had not fully understood the difficulties experienced by either driver.
“Kimi looked in a strong position early on and had good pace on both the Intermediate and Soft tyres, but the spin compromised his afternoon, and we need to understand the unusual balance he reported after switching to slicks,” Shovlin said.
“George also showed strong pace at different stages of the race, particularly on the Soft, but also reported similar balance concerns that cost him too.”
Russell’s race was also compromised by a spin after leaving the pits following his first switch to slick tyres. He recovered from the incident and eventually finished fourth, ahead of Antonelli.
The British driver acknowledged that he had taken a risk while attempting to capitalise on Mercedes’ strong pace.
“Obviously, it was a bit of an up-and-down race. I have no idea what happened on that pit exit. I probably just took too much risk, because I was seeing an opportunity to go for the win at that point, but it happened,” Russell explained.
Mercedes’ difficulties contrasted with McLaren’s successful management of the changing conditions, which allowed Norris to regain the lead and control the final stages.
Shovlin believes Mercedes missed an opportunity to achieve a considerably stronger result despite securing the constructors’ championship.
“It was a difficult and eventful race today, and ultimately, we didn’t maximise the opportunities we had,” he said.
“P4 and P5 therefore isn’t quite the way we would have wanted to secure the championship, but we did what we needed to do and there were encouraging signs in the underlying performance.”
Antonelli sets frustration aside to celebrate Mercedes title
Despite losing the opportunity to win, Antonelli helped Mercedes secure its ninth constructors’ championship, completing a title double one week after the Italian became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.
The 20-year-old admitted that the disappointment of his race had been difficult to accept, but insisted that the team’s achievement deserved priority.
“I’m extremely disappointed with the race, but I’m going to put it aside, because today is a great day for the team,” Antonelli said. “They all deserve it, an incredible group of people.”
“Not only here at the track, but everyone back at the factory – Brackley, Brixworth. They all deserve it, so I’m very happy for them. I’m very grateful to be part of this group, because they were the ones to help me to achieve this dream of mine. I’m very happy for them.”
Antonelli’s fifth place survived a post-race five-second penalty for an unsafe release involving Franco Colapinto, while Russell’s fourth place completed the result Mercedes needed to secure the championship.
The team now turns its attention to Las Vegas, where understanding the handling problem could prove important as it prepares for the final three rounds of 2026.
Mercedes targets strong finish after championship double
Antonelli believes Mercedes can maintain its competitiveness through the remaining races, despite the disappointment at Interlagos.
“Yeah, of course. I’m looking forward to it, and looking forward to the end of the season,” he said. “I really want to finish on a high and hopefully come back… finish with a couple more wins, and finish the season on a high.”
“All we want is to keep the momentum going, as well into 2027, and the goal is to keep being successful.”
Mercedes’ championship success followed Antonelli’s drivers’ title triumph in Mexico City, where the Italian completed a remarkable first full season as a Formula 1 title contender.
The next Grand Prix takes place in Las Vegas on November 19–21, followed by Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following the final rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season with breaking news, race analysis and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
