Charles Leclerc described Friday practice at the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP as one of Ferrari’s most difficult performances of the season, with Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur acknowledging that the team must address several balance and engine deployment issues ahead of qualifying.
Ferrari struggled to match the leading competitors during FP2 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, despite Lewis Hamilton finishing sixth with a 1:11.213. Leclerc followed in seventh, recording a 1:11.483 to finish 0.720 seconds behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who topped the session.
Following Friday’s FP2 session, both Vasseur and Leclerc identified the car’s handling characteristics as a major concern. Although Ferrari also encountered problems with power unit deployment, they believe the team has more significant performance deficits to address through the corners.
Meanwhile, Leclerc confirmed that he, Hamilton and Vasseur had discussed the tensions arising from the previous round in Mexico City, expressing confidence that they had resolved the situation.
Vasseur admits Ferrari faces significant work ahead of qualifying
Ferrari entered the São Paulo weekend hoping to build on its competitive performance at the Mexico City GP, where Hamilton and Leclerc demonstrated sufficient pace to challenge near the front. However, Friday’s running suggested that the team had struggled to find a similarly competitive setup at Interlagos.
Leclerc also missed FP1, with Ferrari handing his car to junior driver Dino Beganovic for the mandatory rookie session. The Monegasque therefore had less track time to understand the car’s behaviour before the team began its qualifying simulations during FP2.
Vasseur acknowledged that neither driver felt comfortable with the balance and emphasised the amount of work Ferrari must complete before Saturday.
“A lot to do on the balance. I think drivers, they were not happy. Charles didn’t do FP1 this morning.
“We had a couple of issues today and I think a lot of work to prepare tomorrow. On the top tomorrow, the weather forecast is… tomorrow and Sunday… [is so-and-so]. So I think that we have to be prepared to all the conditions. But I’m not less optimistic than last week.”
Despite Ferrari’s difficult start, Vasseur remained optimistic about its prospects, although the uncertain weather forecast could complicate the team’s preparations.
Vasseur identifies deployment problems but prioritises car balance at 2026 F1 São Paulo GP
Alongside its handling difficulties, Ferrari encountered problems with energy deployment during Leclerc’s running. The Monegasque questioned his car’s performance over the radio, particularly the time he appeared to lose along the straights.
Vasseur confirmed that the team had experienced deployment irregularities, explaining that Leclerc lost several tenths during his fastest lap. However, he did not consider the issue Ferrari’s principal concern.
Instead, the Team Principal highlighted the car’s balance and the different track characteristics compared with Mexico City as areas requiring greater attention.
“Yes, we had a couple of times we had a deployment issue in the lap. We have to fine-tune everything. On his fastest lap, he lost a couple of tenths of a straight line. I would say that it’s not a drama.
“It’s more for you to be focused on page one, but we are not. We know that we have a lot to do on the balance. The balance was not good, not great. I think the tarmac is the opposite of one week ago and it’s creating a lot of work to do and difference compared to last week.”
His comments suggest that Ferrari will concentrate on improving the car’s handling while continuing to refine its power unit settings before qualifying.
Beganovic’s FP1 programme also affected by battery issue
Ferrari’s difficulties began before Leclerc returned to the cockpit, with Beganovic encountering problems during his FP1 appearance.
The Swedish driver replaced Leclerc during the opening session, allowing Ferrari to complete one of its mandatory rookie outings. However, his programme included work on the car’s measurements before a battery problem disrupted his final attempt on soft tyres.
Vasseur clarified that Ferrari had deliberately removed the floor earlier in the session to conduct measurements, rather than because of damage sustained on track.
“No, at the beginning of the session, we were doing some measurements. At the end, he had an issue with the battery. When he did the last tenth with soft, he did only half a lap. He had to stop the lap. It’s a shame because the lap was good.”
Beganovic eventually finished 21st during Friday’s opening practice session, with the technical issue preventing him from completing his final flying lap.
The interruption also limited the running Ferrari could gather from Leclerc’s car before FP2, leaving the team with additional work during the afternoon.
Leclerc describes one of Ferrari’s most difficult Fridays of 2026 at São Paulo GP
While Vasseur highlighted the technical challenges facing Ferrari, Leclerc offered an even more concerning assessment of the car’s performance.
The Monegasque struggled to find a comfortable balance throughout FP2, raising concerns about braking and engine performance before eventually finishing seventh. Although his final position placed him directly behind Hamilton, Leclerc remained dissatisfied with the car’s behaviour.
He explained that Ferrari would need to make significant changes before Saturday, suggesting that the problems extended beyond the usual setup adjustments required between practice and qualifying.
“It’s been a very, very difficult Friday. A very difficult Friday. The feeling was just very poor inside the car, so we’ve got a lot of work to do and probably more than other weekends, change quite a lot the car from today to tomorrow.
“It just felt quite strange in a way. So, yeah, lots of changes to be made.”
His assessment contrasted with Ferrari’s stronger recent performances, particularly in Mexico City, where Hamilton secured pole position and finished second.
However, Leclerc believes the team must identify why its car struggled so significantly at Interlagos before it can assess its prospects for the remainder of the weekend.
Leclerc believes cornering performance presents greater concern
Leclerc also addressed the power unit deployment problems he experienced during FP2, acknowledging that Ferrari had lost time along the straights.
However, he agreed with Vasseur that the car’s handling represented a more significant issue. Ferrari has generally demonstrated competitive cornering performance throughout the season, making its difficulties at Interlagos particularly concerning.
The Monegasque explained that the car felt unusually poor through the corners, leaving him with a substantial performance deficit despite the team’s established strengths.
“We were losing for sure in the straights, but I think the car in the corners just felt… probably one of the worst Friday feeling of the season.
“So I think there’s a lot to be found in corners, more than in the straights, where we know we have a deficit. But normally we are very fast in corners and today was not the case.”
His comments suggest that resolving the deployment issue alone would not address Ferrari’s overall lack of pace.
With Hamilton also struggling to match the leading Mercedes and McLaren drivers, Ferrari faces a broader challenge in finding a competitive setup for Saturday’s qualifying session.
Ferrari prepares significant setup changes before Saturday
Despite the problems Ferrari encountered, Leclerc believes the team has several potential solutions to explore before returning to the circuit.
The Monegasque acknowledged that he could not yet determine whether the changes would resolve the difficulties. However, he expressed confidence that Ferrari should perform better at Interlagos than its Friday results suggested.
His comments indicate that the team will consider substantial adjustments rather than relying solely on minor refinements to its existing setup.
“Well, I don’t have the answer yet. I’ve got quite a lot of ideas on what to change and I think there will be significant changes going into tomorrow.
“Whether that will be enough, the issues we had today was quite big, but there’s no reason why we will struggle so much more on a track like this.
“So we need to find a solution.”
Ferrari will now review its Friday data to identify the causes of its handling difficulties and determine which adjustments could provide the greatest improvement.
The team must also consider the possibility of changing weather conditions, which could influence its approach to FP3 and qualifying.
Leclerc confirms discussions with Hamilton and Vasseur have resolved tensions ahead of 2026 F1 São Paulo GP
Away from Ferrari’s technical difficulties, Leclerc also addressed the discussions involving Hamilton and Vasseur following the controversial opening-lap battle at the Mexico City GP.
The two drivers fought for position during the opening stages of the race, with their battle ultimately compromising Ferrari’s opportunity to secure a stronger result. Hamilton subsequently expressed frustration over their approach to racing one another and called for further discussions within the team.
Vasseur also addressed the incident following the race, emphasising the importance of respect and cooperation between the drivers.
Leclerc confirmed that the three had since spoken together and expressed satisfaction with the outcome. He also explained that personal developments during the week had limited the opportunity for earlier discussions.
“Yeah, I think it was really good to just discuss all together. Obviously, for me, it’s been a bit of a crazy week and positively because I became a father for the first time.
“So we didn’t necessarily have time to discuss and I think discussing always is whatever is left or whatever frustration is left and that was needed.
“Now I feel it’s fully settled and I don’t think we should be speaking about it too much going forward.”
With Leclerc indicating that the matter has been resolved, Ferrari can now concentrate on addressing its performance concerns ahead of qualifying.
Ferrari aims to recover after challenging São Paulo practice
Ferrari concluded Friday’s running with Hamilton sixth and Leclerc seventh, leaving both drivers outside the leading five despite their competitive performances in Mexico City.
Although Vasseur identified several deployment issues and confirmed that Beganovic’s FP1 programme had suffered a battery problem, both he and Leclerc emphasised the car’s balance as the team’s most important concern.
Leclerc expects Ferrari to make significant setup changes before Saturday, while the uncertain weather forecast introduces another consideration as the team attempts to recover its performance.
Meanwhile, the Monegasque’s confirmation that discussions with Hamilton and Vasseur have settled their recent disagreements provides a more positive development ahead of the remaining rounds.
Ferrari will return to the circuit for FP3 on Saturday, 7 November, before qualifying determines the starting positions for Sunday’s São Paulo GP. The team will aim to address its Friday difficulties and regain the competitiveness it demonstrated during the previous round.
