Ferrari’s decision to run higher tyre pressures on Lewis Hamilton’s Intermediate tyres may have contributed directly to his dramatic loss of performance during the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix. Former Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola believes the team’s attempt to give the seven-time Formula 1 world champion a competitive car from the opening corners ultimately compromised his race pace, turning a remarkable start into a frustrating afternoon at Interlagos.
Hamilton gained 11 positions on the opening lap, climbing from 20th to ninth by the exit of Turn 5. However, the impressive recovery was followed by a rapid decline in competitiveness, leaving the British driver struggling to defend positions and eventually finishing ninth. Mazzola’s explanation suggests that the very tyre settings which helped Hamilton attack immediately after the start also contributed to the deterioration of his performance as the stint progressed.
Luigi Mazzola explains Ferrari’s tyre pressure gamble with Lewis Hamilton
Speaking to Fanpage, Luigi Mazzola, who previously worked as Alain Prost’s race engineer and later oversaw Ferrari’s test team during the Michael Schumacher era, offered a detailed explanation of the tyre-pressure compromise facing the Scuderia in wet conditions.
According to Mazzola, Ferrari deliberately opted for relatively high pressures on Hamilton’s Intermediate tyres to ensure that the car would be immediately responsive. He considered this consistent with the explanation subsequently provided by team principal Fred Vasseur.
The former Ferrari engineer explained that choosing tyre pressures in wet conditions involves balancing immediate confidence against longer-term performance. When pressures are too low, the tyres can deform excessively, making the car feel unstable and preventing the driver from developing sufficient confidence to attack.
That lack of confidence can create a difficult cycle. Without pushing hard enough, the driver struggles to generate heat in the tyres, which in turn prevents their pressures from rising to the desired operating level. The car may therefore remain outside its optimal working conditions, limiting the performance available to the driver.
Higher initial pressures can produce the opposite effect. Mazzola explained that the car becomes more responsive almost immediately, allowing the driver to push harder and generate tyre temperature from the beginning of the stint.
However, that advantage can become a disadvantage after only two or three laps. As the tyres absorb energy and their temperatures increase, their internal pressures rise further, potentially moving them beyond the ideal operating range.
Why higher tyre pressures caused Ferrari’s performance to deteriorate
Luigi Mazzola described how excessive pressure changes the shape of the tyre, making its profile more rounded and reducing the amount of tread in contact with the asphalt.
The smaller contact patch becomes more vulnerable to overheating, creating conditions in which both mechanical and thermal degradation can develop. As a result, a car that initially feels particularly competitive can become increasingly difficult to control as its tyres lose performance.
Mazzola believes this explains what happened to Lewis Hamilton at Interlagos. In his assessment, the Ferrari initially offered excellent grip and responsiveness but subsequently lost rear-end stability, preventing the British driver from maintaining consistent pace.
He also pointed to Hamilton’s difficulties defending against Fernando Alonso as an indication of how severely the car’s performance had deteriorated following its outstanding opening lap.
The issue fits into the wider pattern of Ferrari’s tyre temperature problems during the Brazilian Grand Prix, when managing the operating window of the Pirelli compounds became a significant challenge for both drivers.
The relationship between compound selection, stint length and performance can also be explored through the F1 Tyre and Stint Analysis, which allows comparisons of tyre strategies and stint patterns.
Fred Vasseur acknowledges the price of Lewis Hamilton’s remarkable start
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur also recognised the compromise behind Hamilton’s early performance. Speaking through GPblog, the French manager suggested that tyre pressures were probably responsible for the contrast between the driver’s extraordinary first lap and the difficulties that followed.
Vasseur acknowledged that Ferrari had needed to accept a compromise to maximise Hamilton’s chances of gaining positions immediately after the start. Following the penalty that sent the British driver to the back of the grid, the team had an obvious incentive to prioritise early grip and responsiveness.
Hamilton had originally received a ten-place grid penalty following a change of internal combustion engine, which Ferrari had introduced after his lack of speed during FP2. Further problems in FP3 then forced the team to replace the entire power unit, resulting in a back-of-the-grid start.
Despite that disadvantage, Hamilton produced the strongest launch in the field and found grip while several rivals struggled in the opening corners. However, the exceptional progress could not be sustained.
His early gains were followed by battles in which he struggled to maintain the same level of performance, including his difficulties against Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
The analysis also raises an important question about the trade-off behind Ferrari’s higher tyre pressures at Interlagos. A lower starting pressure might have protected the tyres more effectively during the stint, but it could also have prevented Hamilton from making such an impressive recovery on the opening lap.
Charles Leclerc also struggled with Ferrari’s intermediate tyres
The tyre difficulties were not limited to Lewis Hamilton. Teammate Charles Leclerc also experienced problems with the temperature of Ferrari’s Pirelli tyres during the wet stages of the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Both drivers agreed that excessive tyre temperatures contributed to the team’s poor performance. As the compounds became hotter, their pressures increased, further aggravating the handling and degradation problems.
However, Luigi Mazzola does not believe Ferrari started Charles Leclerc on pressures as high as those used by Hamilton. Despite that possible difference, the Monegasque still struggled to make progress in the wet conditions.
Leclerc started 14th following an internal combustion engine change but failed to make significant gains before switching to slick tyres.
His race nevertheless provided a revealing comparison with his teammate. On Lap 10 of the 71-lap contest, Leclerc overtook Hamilton for 12th position after the two Ferraris battled through the final sector of Interlagos.
Hamilton attempted to hold the outside line through Mergulho at Turn 11, but the wider trajectory allowed Leclerc to claim the inside line approaching Junção. The Monegasque then completed the move by winning the acceleration battle uphill.
The incident illustrated how quickly Hamilton’s initial advantage had disappeared as the race developed, while also demonstrating that the Scuderia’s tyre difficulties affected both sides of the garage.
Lewis Hamilton records worst finish of his 2026 Formula 1 season
The Brazilian Grand Prix ultimately produced Hamilton’s lowest finishing position of the 2026 season up to that point. Before the 20th round of the 23-race championship, the 41-year-old had not finished a Grand Prix lower than sixth.
His consistency had also been notable. The seven-time world champion had recorded only one retirement during the campaign, which came at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid after a brake failure during the opening laps.
Brazil therefore represented a significant setback, particularly given the contrast between his spectacular recovery at the start and the eventual ninth-place result.
There were also strategic complications as the conditions changed. Hamilton disagreed with Ferrari over the timing of his switch to slick tyres and later lost time when he delayed returning to Intermediates after the rain intensified, spinning before making his pit stop.
Nevertheless, Mazzola’s assessment places particular emphasis on the tyre-pressure decision made before the race rather than attributing the entire loss of performance to the driver’s actions.
The former Ferrari engineer’s explanation highlights the challenge facing the Maranello team in unpredictable conditions. A configuration intended to deliver immediate performance can become increasingly difficult to manage once tyre temperatures rise, leaving engineers to balance the benefits of early grip against the risk of excessive degradation.
For Hamilton, the result was an especially frustrating conclusion to a race in which his remarkable opening lap had initially created the possibility of a much stronger recovery.
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