Lewis Hamilton’s spectacular opening lap at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix gave Ferrari an immediate reason for optimism, but the advantage disappeared almost as quickly as it had emerged. After climbing from 20th to ninth in just one lap, the seven-time world champion began struggling with a significant loss of grip, with Fred Vasseur subsequently acknowledging that the team had used excessively high intermediate tyre pressures.
The remarkable turnaround highlighted how a tyre setup that initially helped the SF-26 perform in wet conditions could become a serious disadvantage as the race developed. Hamilton had been able to attack his rivals under braking, through corners and on acceleration, only for the Ferrari’s competitiveness to deteriorate noticeably by approximately the fifth lap.
Lewis Hamilton’s extraordinary Brazil GP start quickly turns into frustration
Starting from P20, Hamilton made exceptional progress during the opening lap at Interlagos, gaining 11 positions to reach P9. His ability in wet conditions was an important part of that recovery, although the SF-26 also appeared to offer considerably more grip than the surrounding cars during the initial stages.
That advantage allowed the British driver to complete a succession of overtakes. The Ferrari responded particularly well in braking zones, maintained strong grip through corners and provided the traction needed to accelerate effectively out of them.
However, the situation changed dramatically within only a few laps. By around lap five, the car was no longer delivering the same level of performance, turning an encouraging opening into a difficult stint. The change in Hamilton’s competitiveness was especially apparent in comparison with Oscar Piastri ahead.
Fred Vasseur acknowledges Ferrari’s intermediate tyre pressure mistake
Following the Brazilian Grand Prix, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur admitted that the team had selected excessively high pressures for the Intermediate tyres. He identified the mistake as one of the factors responsible for Hamilton’s rapid deterioration in performance.
The explanation centres on the relationship between inflation pressure, tyre deformation and temperature. Increasing the pressure makes the tyre structure stiffer, limiting how much it deforms under load and reducing the size of the contact patch against the track surface.
With the available load concentrated across a smaller area of tread, the tyre surface can warm more rapidly. In wet conditions, this can provide an initial benefit by helping the Intermediate compound reach its effective operating temperature sooner than competing tyres.
That behaviour offers a possible explanation for Hamilton’s impressive early grip. The Ferrari appeared particularly competitive while the tyres were reaching their working window, allowing the Briton to exploit the car’s braking performance, cornering grip and traction during his charge through the field.
Why excessive tyre pressures caused the Ferrari SF-26 to lose grip
The initial advantage became increasingly difficult to maintain as the stint progressed. As tyre temperatures rose, the internal pressures increased further, moving the rubber progressively away from its ideal operating conditions and encouraging overheating.
Hamilton initially experienced the consequences at the rear of the car, where a substantial reduction in traction made it harder to accelerate effectively out of corners. The problem subsequently spread to all four tyres, affecting the Ferrari’s performance throughout the different phases of a lap.
The higher operating pressures also altered how the loads were distributed across the tyre contact patch. With less effective grip available, the tyres began sliding more, producing additional heat and accelerating thermal degradation.
This created a self-reinforcing problem: overheating reduced grip, the resulting sliding generated further heat, and the tyres became progressively less effective. The rapidly drying Interlagos circuit intensified the process, making the Intermediate tyres increasingly difficult to manage.
The effect illustrates why tyre performance cannot be judged from the opening laps alone. A setup that produces strong initial grip may become less competitive once temperatures, pressures and track conditions change. Differences in tyre performance over a race can also be explored through the F1 tyre and stint analysis, which compares compound usage and observed stint pace.
Ferrari’s early advantage in Brazil proves impossible to sustain
Hamilton’s Brazilian Grand Prix therefore presented two contrasting pictures of the SF-26. During the opening lap, the car appeared capable of providing the grip required for an extraordinary recovery through the field. Only a few laps later, its tyre performance had deteriorated sufficiently to undermine that advantage.
The sequence is consistent with Intermediate tyres reaching their effective operating window very quickly before excessive pressures and rising temperatures pushed them beyond it. Vasseur’s admission provides an important explanation for why Hamilton’s early progress could not be maintained.
For Ferrari, the episode demonstrated how a tyre pressure choice can influence performance in opposite ways during the same stint. What initially appeared to give Hamilton an advantage in the wet ultimately contributed to the loss of competitiveness that followed.
Leave a Reply