Rain had been expected for the Brazilian Grand Prix, but not a single drop fell over the Interlagos circuit to shake up what was already an eventful race. Instead, the perfect storm hit Ferrari, which endured a nightmare Sunday in São Paulo filled with every kind of misfortune possible. Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire after roughly 30 laps of suffering, his race ruined by a first-lap collision in Turn 1 with Carlos Sainz’s Williams and later by heavy damage from contact with Franco Colapinto’s Alpine. To complete a disastrous afternoon for the Scuderia, Charles Leclerc also retired after being hit by Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes during an early Safety Car restart.
Bitter disappointment for Ferrari
It was a painful double DNF for Ferrari, especially given the potential and clear progress shown since Saturday’s Sprint session. Based on the pace seen throughout the weekend, Charles Leclerc could have fought with the returning Max Verstappen and both McLaren drivers for a podium finish. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, seemed capable of targeting fifth or sixth place—points that would have been crucial for Ferrari in its Constructors’ Championship battle. With Mercedes recovering strongly after recent setbacks in Austin and Mexico City, Ferrari’s fight to hold second place has now been thrown wide open again.
Leclerc reacts to his early retirement
Leclerc’s retirement came through no fault of his own. The Monegasque driver was caught in a chain reaction triggered by Oscar Piastri’s aggressive overtake attempt on Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes driver closed the door too hard on the McLaren, bounced into Leclerc’s Ferrari, and ended his race within the opening laps. Speaking to Sky Sport F1 after the incident, Leclerc expressed both his anger and frustration while keeping a cool, analytical approach to what happened.
“There was no risk in my move,” said the Ferrari driver. “But I’m really f***ing angry. There’s nothing for me to learn from this situation—I didn’t make a mistake. I would do it the same way twenty times over. The drivers on the inside got it wrong. Oscar was optimistic but Kimi knew that Oscar was on the inside, I think, and he kind of did the corner like Oscar was never there. “For me the blame is not all on Oscar. Yes, it was optimistic, but this could have been avoided. I’m frustrated. At the end of the day I’m not angry with Oscar or Kimi, these things happen, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying it was all Oscar’s fault. I don’t think it is.” – the Monegasque driver added.
It was a brutally honest reaction from Charles Leclerc, who had shown the pace to contend for the podium before being eliminated by an incident completely out of his control. The frustration in Maranello was clear: another weekend of missed opportunities, and a reminder that in Formula 1, even the smallest mistake by others can destroy a team’s race.
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