Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari suffered another communication breakdown during the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix, with confusion over a late-race pit-stop instruction contributing to a frustrating ninth-place finish. As rain intensified at Interlagos, the seven-time world champion ignored a call from race engineer Carlo Santi to switch to intermediate tyres, only to spin shortly afterwards and lose a position to Charles Leclerc.
The subsequent radio exchange revealed that Lewis Hamilton had not understood how significantly the weather conditions had changed, highlighting another difficult moment in Ferrari’s race strategy and communication between the pit wall and its drivers.
Ferrari struggles in difficult Brazilian Grand Prix conditions
Sunday proved disappointing for Ferrari, which had started the São Paulo Grand Prix from the lower positions on the grid but had nevertheless remained confident of making progress during the race. Team principal Fred Vasseur had expressed that belief the previous day, expecting the Scuderia to recover positions when it mattered most.
However, that recovery never fully materialised. On the damp Interlagos circuit, Ferrari struggled to secure points, while its strategy management and communication between the pit wall and the cars were far from ideal.
The problems became particularly evident during the final heavy shower, when drivers had to abandon their soft slick tyres and return to intermediates as the rain intensified.
For Lewis Hamilton, the situation developed into a misunderstanding with his race engineer, Carlo Santi, at a crucial stage of the Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton ignores Ferrari pit call as rain intensifies at Interlagos
On lap 62, as the rain became heavier, Lewis Hamilton was running eighth and closing in on the Racing Bulls car driven by Liam Lawson.
An immediate pit stop could have allowed the Ferrari driver to anticipate his rivals’ tyre changes and potentially gain an advantage. Instead, the situation began to unravel.
Carlo Santi instructed Lewis Hamilton to enter the pit lane and switch to intermediate tyres, delivering a clear message over the team radio:
“Box, box. Box for inters.”
Despite the instruction, Lewis Hamilton deliberately chose to remain on track rather than pit. The seven-time world champion subsequently expressed his frustration over the radio, before spinning and losing another position to team-mate Charles Leclerc, who had been running behind him.
The incident was another example of the challenges posed by the Brazilian Grand Prix’s demanding tyre conditions and threat of heavy rain, which complicated strategy decisions throughout the Interlagos weekend.
Lewis Hamilton’s radio message reveals misunderstanding with Carlo Santi
Shortly afterwards, another radio exchange between Lewis Hamilton and Carlo Santi clarified the misunderstanding that had developed between the driver and his engineer.
“Oh, damn. You hadn’t told me it was raining,” Lewis Hamilton explained. “I thought I could carry on, I was feeling comfortable out on track. Where am I now?”
The message suggested that, although the Ferrari driver had received the instruction to switch tyres, he had not fully appreciated the worsening weather conditions that had prompted the call.
Following another moment of confusion, Carlo Santi confirmed that Lewis Hamilton had dropped to ninth position. The former Mercedes driver ultimately finished the Grand Prix in that same place.
The sequence also affected the relative running order of Ferrari’s two drivers, with Charles Leclerc moving ahead after his team-mate’s spin. Their race-position changes can be examined through the F1 Race Position and Progression Tracker.
Ferrari’s communication problems remain a concern
Although the late-race misunderstanding was frustrating, it did not have a particularly significant impact on Lewis Hamilton’s final result. Even without the confusion, the seven-time world champion would have struggled to finish higher than seventh.
Nevertheless, the incident highlighted an area where Ferrari still has room for improvement. In rapidly changing conditions, particularly when rain forces drivers to make immediate decisions about tyre compounds, clear communication between the pit wall and the cockpit becomes especially important.
The Brazilian Grand Prix demonstrated how quickly a potentially advantageous strategic opportunity can disappear when a driver and race engineer are not completely aligned.
For Ferrari, the ninth-place finish was disappointing in itself, but the communication difficulties between Lewis Hamilton and Carlo Santi offered another reminder that the Scuderia remains some way from perfect execution during the most chaotic moments of a Grand Prix.
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