Vasseur blames Ferrari tyre temperatures for Sao Paulo struggles

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has said the team's disappointing Sao Paulo Grand Prix was largely down to its inability to get its tyres into the right operating window, rather than pure pace alone. Charles Leclerc finished eighth and Lewis Hamilton ninth, with the team scoring only six points a week after coming close to victory in Mexico.

Both drivers had 10-place grid penalties for power unit changes, and Hamilton suffered an additional engine complication in final practice. Vasseur said that when tyres are not in the right spot, the effect is far greater than that of a chassis characteristic or upgrade, and that Ferrari also lacked straight-line speed on a track with a narrow dry racing line.

Vasseur said the penalties had changed the team's approach to the weekend, with Friday's struggles followed by a better Saturday in both dry and wet conditions.