Leclerc surprised by Ferrari's wet-weather form at Interlagos

Charles Leclerc said he was surprised to find a Ferrari that worked for him in the wet, describing it as the first time in nine years at Maranello that rain had not exposed the car's biggest weakness. He qualified fourth for the São Paulo Grand Prix, but carries a 10-place grid penalty that will drop him well down the order for Sunday's race at Interlagos.

Team-mate Lewis Hamilton managed 11th in changeable conditions and starts from 20th because of his own penalty. Leclerc said he was not happy with fourth, but felt the session had been valuable, as the penalty allowed Ferrari to be more experimental with set-up choices. He added that the correlation between where the car was strong and weak should help going forward.

Leclerc has long cited wet sessions as Ferrari's weak point since he joined the team in 2019, contrasting it with his strength in the rain in junior categories.