Mercedes surprises itself: 'We weren't expecting'

Andrew Shovlin looks with satisfaction at the way Mercedes finished the first free practice session. With Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finishing fifth and sixth respectively, the team showed in the session that it may be capable of more.

This is not the first time Mercedes has competed among the top teams again this season. A fortnight ago, the German formation also did handsomely in Mexico. However, according to Shovlin, Mercedes did not expect to be strong again in Brazil.

"We weren't expecting to be as competitive as Mexico, but looking at FP1 it seems like 6 cars are in with a shout of the front row so it looks tight," Mercedes' top man told Sky Sports in an interview.

Hamilton seemed to be heading hard for the fastest time in the closing stages of the first free practice, but a personal error meant Sergio Perez retained first place. Nevertheless, Hamilton looks to be one of the contenders to start on the front row of the grid on Saturday.