- Ferrari endured a disastrous São Paulo Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finishing eighth and ninth respectively.
- Leclerc struggled with tyre temperatures and received a five-second penalty following contact with Liam Lawson.
- Hamilton’s promising recovery from 20th unravelled amid tyre degradation and a late spin, compounding Ferrari’s frustrations.
Ferrari’s miserable 2026 campaign has suffered another setback, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton lamenting the Scuderia’s alarming lack of performance following a disastrous São Paulo Grand Prix.
The Maranello outfit salvaged just six championship points from Interlagos, its poorest return since the Italian Grand Prix, as tyre temperature struggles and grid penalties compounded an already challenging weekend.
Leclerc recovered from a ten-place grid penalty to finish eighth, while Hamilton endured an equally frustrating afternoon en route to ninth, having briefly threatened a considerably stronger result.
For Leclerc, the opening stint proved particularly troublesome, with the Monegasque struggling to generate sufficient tyre temperature in the demanding conditions.
“The execution was okay but the pace was, on the first stint, horrendous for me,” Leclerc admitted.
“It’s unbelievable, and it’s just undriveable. Lewis definitely found a way because he had an incredible start, but for me it was just like driving on ice.”
Despite recovering through the field and making a timely switch to intermediate tyres as rain returned, Leclerc’s late battle with Liam Lawson ultimately proved costly.
The Ferrari driver overtook the New Zealander for seventh but was subsequently handed a five-second penalty following contact between the pair, relegating him to eighth.
“There is so much to be learned,” Leclerc reflected.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do on that side.”
Hamilton’s promising start unravels
Starting from a lowly 20th following his own grid penalty, Hamilton produced a sensational opening sequence, gaining 11 positions as he carved through the field.
However, the seven-time world champion’s progress quickly unravelled as his rear tyres deteriorated, leaving him struggling for grip as the circuit dried.
An early gamble to switch onto slick tyres briefly revived his prospects, although a subsequent spin and persistent tyre difficulties ultimately confined him to ninth, a lap behind race winner Lando Norris.
“I had a great start, and I thought I was on for something positive, then the tyres dropped off almost immediately as the track dried,” Hamilton explained.
“Just massive challenges with getting the tyres in the window and having them working.”
Despite his frustration, Hamilton praised Ferrari’s efforts throughout a gruelling triple-header, while accepting responsibility for his costly mistake.
“We didn’t get the points I think the team deserved today. I definitely take some of that on me today, with that [spin] at the end.”
With Mercedes sealing the constructors’ championship in Brazil, Ferrari’s latest disappointment further underlined the gulf between the two historic rivals.
And while the Scuderia has demonstrated flashes of competitiveness throughout the season, its inability to consistently extract performance across changing conditions remains a significant concern.
With three rounds remaining, Ferrari faces an increasingly urgent task to rediscover its competitive edge before attention turns towards 2027.
