Charles Leclerc has described Ferrari’s Brazilian Grand Prix Friday as his worst of the 2026 Formula 1 season in terms of how the car felt, warning that the SF-26 needs significant setup changes after a disappointing second practice session at Interlagos. The Monegasque finished seventh in FP2, one place behind teammate Lewis Hamilton, and admitted that Ferrari’s difficulties extended well beyond its familiar straight-line speed deficit.
It has been an extraordinary week for Charles Leclerc, who is delighted after becoming a father for the first time following the birth of his daughter Bianca. However, the Ferrari driver’s mood on his return from Monte Carlo to Interlagos for the second free practice session of the Brazilian Grand Prix was considerably less positive. His frustration had nothing to do with the limited sleep involved in crossing the Atlantic twice. Instead, it was Ferrari’s lack of competitiveness that caused concern, with Lewis Hamilton finishing sixth and Charles Leclerc seventh, well behind the leading Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc describes his worst Friday of the 2026 F1 season
Ferrari had previously shown a tendency to perform strongly during Friday practice sessions before struggling to maintain the same level of competitiveness throughout the rest of a Grand Prix weekend. At Interlagos, however, the difficulties were apparent from the outset.
Asked to assess Ferrari’s performance, Charles Leclerc offered a particularly negative verdict on the handling of the SF-26.
“It was a really very difficult Friday. Really complicated. The feeling inside the cockpit was terrible. We have a lot of work to do, probably more than on other weekends, because the car’s setup will have to change quite significantly for tomorrow.”
The disappointing result leaves Ferrari facing substantial work to understand its performance deficit before the next session. The team’s Friday showing can also be examined through the F1 practice and long-run analysis, which allows comparisons of practice-session performance and lap-time characteristics.
Ferrari SF-26 struggling in corners as well as on the straights
Charles Leclerc’s radio messages during practice appeared to suggest frustration with the Ferrari power unit and the time being lost on the straights. However, when asked whether straight-line performance represented the team’s main weakness, the Monegasque explained that the problems were even more serious in the corners.
“We were losing ground on the straights, that’s true, but I think that, as far as the corners are concerned, this was perhaps the Friday when I had the worst feeling of the entire season. There is a lot to improve in the corners, even more than on the straights, where we know we have a deficit. Normally we are very quick in the slow corners, but today that wasn’t the case.”
His assessment highlights how Ferrari was struggling in an area where the SF-26 would normally be expected to perform well. The loss of confidence in slow-speed corners was particularly concerning for Charles Leclerc, given that the team was already aware of its straight-line disadvantage.
Charles Leclerc unsure whether major Ferrari setup changes will solve the problems
With the SF-26 proving difficult to drive, Charles Leclerc was asked whether the solution would simply involve finding the correct setup window or whether Ferrari faced a more complicated technical challenge.
“Well, I don’t have a precise answer yet. I have several ideas about what needs to be changed, and I think we will make significant changes for tomorrow. But I don’t know whether they will be enough: the problems we encountered today were quite significant, although there is no reason why we should struggle so much on a circuit like this. We have to find a solution.”
The uncertainty surrounding the effectiveness of the planned changes adds to Ferrari’s concerns. Although Charles Leclerc has identified several potential adjustments, he cannot yet say whether they will be sufficient to restore the level of competitiveness expected from the car at Interlagos.
Ferrari’s difficulties also come during a weekend in which the technical demands of the Brazilian Grand Prix place particular importance on finding the right balance between cornering performance, tyre behaviour and straight-line efficiency.
Charles Leclerc confirms Ferrari tensions with Lewis Hamilton and Fred Vasseur have been resolved
Beyond Ferrari’s disappointing performance on track, Charles Leclerc also addressed the internal discussions involving teammate Lewis Hamilton and team principal Fred Vasseur. The three had met to discuss the tensions that had developed within the team, with questions surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s relationship with Charles Leclerc ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Asked whether he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and how the relationship would develop, Charles Leclerc insisted that the conversation had been constructive and that he now considered the matter closed.
“Yes, I think it was very positive to talk about it all together. For me, it has been quite an intense week, in a positive sense, because I became a father for the first time. We hadn’t yet had the opportunity to talk things through, and I think discussing what had been left unresolved – or any frustrations that were still there – was necessary. Now I feel that the matter has been completely cleared up, and I don’t think there is any need to talk about it again in the future.”
The comments suggest that Charles Leclerc is ready to move on from the internal disagreement, following a period in which Fred Vasseur’s management of the Ferrari driver relationship had attracted considerable attention.
While Charles Leclerc believes the personal tensions have now been resolved, Ferrari’s immediate challenge remains the performance of the SF-26. After finishing Friday only sixth and seventh, the team faces a demanding task to address its cornering difficulties and straight-line deficit before the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend continues.
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