Vasseur defends Ferrari's double engine penalties at Sao Paulo

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur believes his team can still achieve a strong result at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, despite Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both facing significant grid penalties after engine changes. The Scuderia introduced new internal combustion engines for both drivers at Interlagos, resulting in an initial 10-place grid penalty for each. Hamilton's situation worsened in FP3 when smoke emerged from his car, forcing another new engine and leaving him at the back of the grid.

Leclerc secured fourth place in the rain-affected qualifying session but will line up 14th because of his penalty. Vasseur said the team had been competitive in the wet from the start, though he acknowledged the lengthy session had been difficult for everyone. He explained that Ferrari had to take further penalties before the end of the season and chose Interlagos, partly because of the weather forecast and because the track offers opportunities to move up the order.