Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has backed the FIA’s decision to suspend qualifying for the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, describing the conditions at Interlagos as among the most extreme he has ever witnessed in Formula 1. With torrential rain flooding the circuit and visibility severely reduced, the Frenchman insisted that race control was right to prioritise driver safety despite everyone’s desire to return to the track.
Saturday’s qualifying session was red-flagged barely one minute into Q1 as heavy rain made the Autódromo José Carlos Pace increasingly difficult to navigate. While teams waited for an opportunity to resume running, Fred Vasseur offered a striking assessment of the conditions, revealing that the situation had been so severe that race suits had to be changed after the initial lap.
Fred Vasseur describes extreme conditions during Brazilian GP qualifying
Speaking about the situation at Interlagos, the Ferrari team principal made clear just how unusual the weather had become, even by the standards of a sport accustomed to racing in difficult conditions.
“The conditions when we did the first lap were completely extreme. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen F1 in these conditions, and they even had to change their race suits after the lap,” Fred Vasseur explained.
The observation underlined the severity of the downpour, which had rapidly transformed the opening minutes of qualifying into a question of whether cars could safely remain on the circuit at all.
Several teams had initially attempted to run on intermediate tyres, but the amount of standing water soon made full wet tyres the more appropriate option. Mercedes driver George Russell was among those reporting that the conditions were undriveable, while race control acted quickly to stop the session.
Ferrari boss warns that repeated heavy rain could complicate a restart
For Fred Vasseur, the problem extended beyond the immediate state of the circuit. The continuing rainfall meant that any improvement could prove temporary, making it difficult for teams to anticipate when qualifying might resume.
“Now the issue is that we have more heavy rain every 15 minutes. They need more to try to clean the track. I don’t know where we are going, but it’s quite extreme,” he said.
His comments highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the restart. Even if conditions improved sufficiently for the Safety Car to assess the circuit, another heavy shower could quickly change the situation again.
That uncertainty also required Ferrari to remain prepared for a possible resumption rather than assuming that the interruption would continue indefinitely.
“We just have to be ready. Each time the Safety Car goes on track, we know that it can be a very short notice,” Fred Vasseur added.
For Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the interruption meant waiting for a safe opportunity to begin their qualifying efforts, with the rapidly changing conditions leaving little certainty about how the remainder of the session might unfold.
Fred Vasseur backs FIA decision to put safety ahead of qualifying
Despite the frustration of seeing the session interrupted almost immediately, Fred Vasseur expressed unequivocal support for the officials responsible for deciding when Formula 1 cars could return to the circuit.
“We all want to go on track, but race control is right, they have to put safety first, and in this situation it’s the right call.”
The Ferrari team principal’s position was particularly relevant given the combination of standing water, heavy spray and poor visibility that had forced qualifying to a halt. The decision was not simply about choosing the correct wet-weather tyre, but about whether drivers could safely complete laps in the prevailing conditions.
With further heavy rainfall threatening Interlagos, Fred Vasseur’s message was clear: Ferrari needed to remain ready for a restart, but the responsibility for deciding when qualifying could safely resume had to remain with race control.
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