The 2026 Formula 1 cars faced their first genuine wet-weather test at the Brazilian Grand Prix, raising fresh questions about safety and the performance of Pirelli’s rain tyres. Although the most alarming scenarios feared before the Interlagos weekend did not materialise, drivers including George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Alexander Albon and Liam Lawson highlighted significant problems, particularly with intermediate tyre temperatures and degradation.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur also supported the FIA’s decision to suspend qualifying in the extreme conditions, despite initially wanting the session to continue. The Brazilian weekend ultimately eased some of the concerns surrounding the new generation of Formula 1 machinery, but it also exposed weaknesses that Pirelli intends to address ahead of the 2027 season.
George Russell warns about 2026 F1 wet-weather safety risks in Brazil
The Brazilian Grand Prix represented the first major opportunity to assess how the 2026 Formula 1 cars would behave in genuinely wet conditions. Despite the concerns surrounding the event, Interlagos did not produce the most dangerous scenarios that had been feared beforehand.
Nevertheless, the intensity of the rainfall created difficult conditions for drivers, particularly during qualifying, when the FIA ultimately decided to suspend the session.
Mercedes driver George Russell emphasised the potential consequences of attempting to continue in such extreme conditions, despite his enthusiasm for racing in the rain.
“I enjoy racing in the rain, but with that level of intensity, continuing would have been too risky. The consequences of a possible accident could have been very serious,” George Russell explained.
His concerns highlighted the distinction between racing in manageable wet conditions and attempting to compete when the severity of the weather makes the risks considerably greater.
Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur supports FIA decision to stop Brazilian GP qualifying
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur shared the view that suspending qualifying was the correct decision, even though he would personally have preferred to see the session continue.
The Frenchman revealed that the amount of water entering the Ferrari was already considerable after just one lap, illustrating the difficulties faced by teams in the extreme conditions.
“I would have preferred to continue, but stopping the session was the right decision. After the first lap, we already had an incredible amount of water inside the car,” Fred Vasseur acknowledged.
His assessment underlined why the FIA’s intervention was justified, despite the natural desire among drivers and teams to continue competing.
However, the Brazilian Grand Prix also demonstrated that the challenges facing the 2026 cars extend beyond the amount of standing water on the circuit.
Pirelli intermediate tyres emerge as the biggest problem at Interlagos
One of the most significant concerns involved the behaviour of Pirelli’s intermediate tyres. Drivers struggled to bring the rubber into its ideal operating temperature window, while substantial degradation created an additional complication.
The combination proved particularly difficult because drivers could lose tyre performance even while attempting to generate sufficient temperature and grip.
Alexander Albon described the frustration of being unable to find a consistent operating window, with the tyres wearing before they could deliver sustained performance.
“You never really get the feeling that the tyre is working properly. You struggle to warm it up, but meanwhile it keeps wearing out, and after a few laps you lose grip again,” Alexander Albon explained.
The difficulty of balancing tyre temperature, grip and degradation was one of the central technical themes of the weekend. Ferrari also encountered problems with tyre performance at Interlagos, making the issue particularly relevant to the Scuderia’s attempts to extract consistent pace from the SF-26.
The relationship between compound selection, stint duration and performance can also be explored through the Formula 1 tyre and stint analysis, which provides additional context for understanding tyre behaviour during Grand Prix weekends.
Carlos Sainz calls for improvements to both Pirelli wet-weather compounds
Carlos Sainz went further by calling on Pirelli to improve both types of wet-weather tyre, arguing that the problems are not limited to the intermediate compound.
The Spaniard identified a lack of rear stability on intermediates, combined with a frustrating imbalance in tyre performance as the stint progresses.
“We need to improve both wet-weather compounds. With the intermediates, there is a lack of rear stability and, by the time they start working, the front tyres are already compromised. The extreme wet tyres also need further development,” Carlos Sainz explained.
His comments highlighted the difficulty of achieving a consistent balance between the front and rear tyres, particularly when the different compounds struggle to maintain their performance over several laps.
For Pirelli, the challenge is therefore not simply to produce tyres that can operate in heavy rain, but also to improve their ability to reach and maintain an effective working temperature without suffering excessive degradation.
Liam Lawson warns wet conditions could be even more difficult in Las Vegas
Liam Lawson suggested that the problems encountered in Brazil could become even more pronounced at other circuits, particularly if rain affects a venue where tyre temperatures are already difficult to manage.
The Racing Bulls driver identified the ability to maintain tyre temperature as a more significant concern than the presence of water on the track itself.
“The biggest difficulty isn’t so much the water on the track, but managing to keep the tyres up to temperature. At a circuit like Las Vegas, in the rain, the situation could become really complicated,” Liam Lawson warned.
His assessment raises an important consideration ahead of the 2026 Las Vegas Grand Prix, where the characteristics of the circuit could make wet-weather tyre management particularly challenging if rain arrives.
The experience at Interlagos has therefore provided valuable information about the limitations of the current compounds, while also demonstrating that the difficulties could vary significantly from one venue to another.
Pirelli targets 2027 F1 wet tyre improvements after Brazilian GP concerns
Ultimately, the Brazilian Grand Prix reduced some of the initial fears surrounding the safety of the 2026 Formula 1 cars in wet conditions, without completely eliminating the concerns raised by drivers and teams.
The weekend demonstrated that the most extreme scenarios are not inevitable, but also exposed important weaknesses in the performance of the intermediate and extreme wet tyres.
Looking ahead to 2027, Pirelli intends to focus on improving the warm-up characteristics of the intermediate compound while increasing the durability of the extreme wet tyres.
Those developments will be particularly important if Formula 1 is to provide drivers with greater confidence and more consistent tyre performance in difficult weather conditions.
For Ferrari and the rest of the grid, Brazil offered an important first assessment of the new generation of cars in the rain. Although the most serious concerns did not materialise, the difficulties experienced at Interlagos made clear that further progress will be necessary before the 2027 Formula 1 season.
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