Charles Leclerc finished fifth in the Brazil GP Sprint but highlighted a technical anomaly affecting both Ferrari cars. The team is now seeking answers ahead of qualifying as they attempt to resolve the issue.
It was a Saturday full of questions for Ferrari at Interlagos. Charles Leclerc concluded the Sprint Race of the Brazilian Grand Prix in fifth place after a heated battle with Fernando Alonso. On the surface, it seemed a solid result, yet it masked a technical problem that is worrying the Maranello team.
Starting from eighth, Charles Leclerc climbed into the top five thanks to a consistent pace and a late-race overtaking maneuver on Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin. Despite this, the SF-25 appeared visibly slow on the straights throughout the Sprint, unable to match the top speed of rival cars.
After the race, the Monegasque driver spoke to Sky Sports, revealing that the issue affects both Ferrari cars: “Unfortunately, we have a problem on both machines that we still cannot explain. We lose a lot of time on the straights. We carry a bit more aerodynamic load than others, but that doesn’t justify the gap we see on the straights, so something isn’t right.”
Charles Leclerc added that he hopes the team can identify the cause before qualifying: “I hope we can figure it out quickly. We’re not where we want to be, but I don’t think it can be worse than Friday.”
Despite the setback, Ferrari’s #16 driver remained confident about Sunday’s race, highlighting improvements in car balance compared to recent events. However, the mysterious drop in speed remains a critical issue. Maranello engineers are analyzing telemetry and engine parameters to locate the root of the problem, which appears to be affecting Lewis Hamilton as well, who managed only eleventh place in the Sprint.
What initially seemed like a weekend offering an opportunity for redemption has turned into a technical puzzle for Ferrari: a vanished top speed and a riddle that must be solved quickly before it’s too late to react.
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