Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has revealed that tyre pressures may explain why Lewis Hamilton struggled after a spectacular opening lap at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion gained an extraordinary 11 positions on the first lap at Interlagos, but his impressive recovery was followed by a difficult race in which Ferrari struggled to maintain consistent performance.
It was a disappointing Sunday for the Maranello team, with Charles Leclerc finishing seventh and Lewis Hamilton ninth. Speaking to Sky Sport F1 after the race, Fred Vasseur examined the problems that prevented Ferrari from achieving a stronger result, highlighting tyre management and a difficult-to-drive car as key factors.
Fred Vasseur explains Lewis Hamilton’s Brazilian GP tyre problems
Lewis Hamilton’s remarkable getaway was one of the most striking moments of Ferrari’s afternoon. However, the advantage gained during the opening lap was followed by a loss of performance as the race progressed.
Asked about the contrast between Lewis Hamilton’s outstanding start and his subsequent struggles, Fred Vasseur suggested that the team’s tyre pressure choices had played an important role.
“It was probably a question of tyre pressures,” Fred Vasseur explained to Sky Sport F1. “There is a positive and a negative side to every choice: it worked very well at the start, but not quite as well in the middle of the stint. You cannot have a first lap like that and then not pay some price for it.”
The Ferrari team principal acknowledged that the difficulties were not limited to the opening phase of the Grand Prix, with tyre-related problems affecting the team’s overall competitiveness.
“We had some problems with the tyres during the race, so we were missing something, and that is why the race did not go exactly as we wanted. We can certainly do better.”
Lewis Hamilton’s dramatic opening lap can be examined in more detail through the F1 Race Position and Progression Tracker, which provides lap-by-lap comparisons of drivers’ running positions.
Charles Leclerc’s inconsistent pace leaves Ferrari frustrated
Fred Vasseur also addressed Charles Leclerc’s race, admitting that Ferrari had struggled with inconsistency throughout the afternoon. The Frenchman explained that the SF-26’s difficult handling had contributed to mistakes and prevented the Monegasque driver from maintaining a competitive pace.
“We were far too inconsistent throughout pretty much the entire race. I have to say that when we lacked pace, it was more a question of mistakes, because the car was very difficult to drive and the lack of performance came from that.”
Despite those difficulties, Charles Leclerc demonstrated encouraging speed towards the end of a stint on worn soft tyres, suggesting that Ferrari had not been able to extract the full potential of its package over the course of the Grand Prix.
“It is also true that Charles was very quick at the end of his stint on the old soft tyres. We now know why, but it is a real shame because the potential was probably there. However, it was difficult for us to put everything together during the race.”
The contrast between Charles Leclerc’s performance on older soft tyres and Ferrari’s difficulties elsewhere in the race underlined the importance of managing the tyres throughout each stint. The different compounds and stint performances can be explored using the F1 Tyre and Stint Analysis.
Fred Vasseur warns of opposite tyre challenge in Las Vegas
Looking ahead to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Fred Vasseur expects Ferrari to face a very different challenge. Rather than dealing with the need to keep tyre temperatures under control, the team could find itself trying to generate sufficient heat in extremely cold conditions.
“Las Vegas? That will be an extreme race in terms of conditions, because temperatures will be around 5°C, and that means we will be in the opposite situation to what we have experienced throughout the season.”
“Normally, you try to cool the tyres, whereas there we will have to warm them up, so it will be completely the other way around.”
After finishing only seventh and ninth at Interlagos, Ferrari will therefore head to Las Vegas facing a different tyre-management challenge, with Fred Vasseur aware that the team must improve its consistency if it is to make better use of the performance available from its car.
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