News Summary
- Leclerc reported unexpected braking at Turn 13 on lap 46 of the Singapore Grand Prix.
- The Ferrari driver warned that another episode could send him into the wall.
- Bryan Bozzi instructed a steering-wheel setting change two laps later, and the issue was not reported again.
Charles Leclerc feared he could crash during the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix after his Ferrari unexpectedly began braking without his command, according to previously untelevised team radio messages that emerged following the race at Marina Bay.
The incident occurred on lap 46, at Turn 13, when Leclerc noticed his SF-26 slowing unexpectedly as he accelerated away from one of the circuit’s slowest corners. The Monegasque immediately contacted race engineer Bryan Bozzi, demanding an explanation for the car’s behaviour.
“What the fuck happened? The car started to brake on its own!” Leclerc exclaimed over the radio.
Bozzi initially told the driver to continue pushing while Ferrari investigated the problem. However, Leclerc remained concerned that the same behaviour could occur at a faster corner, where an unexpected loss of control might have more serious consequences.
The exchange revealed a technical problem that had not been apparent from the television coverage or the final race classification.
Leclerc warns Ferrari: ‘I put it in the wall’
On the following lap, Leclerc returned to the radio to explain the danger he believed the malfunction posed.
“If this happens again, and I have no control of the car, I put it in the wall,” he warned.
Bozzi reassured the Ferrari driver that the team considered the incident isolated and was working to prevent another occurrence.
“It was a single case, should not happen, I’ll come back to you,” the engineer replied.
Two laps after the original complaint, Bozzi provided a specific instruction to change a setting on Leclerc’s steering wheel.
“We need white 10 position two, white 10 position two to help with the issue you had before,” he told the driver.
The adjustment appeared to resolve the immediate problem, with Leclerc reporting no further unexpected braking episodes before the chequered flag. Teammate Lewis Hamilton did not report the same behaviour during the race.
Ferrari has not publicly established the precise technical cause of the unexpected braking. Although the intervention involved a steering-wheel setting, the available evidence does not demonstrate whether the underlying problem originated in the braking system, electronic controls or another component.
Ferrari’s Singapore brake problems began before the race
The incident came during a weekend in which Leclerc had already reported unusual behaviour under braking.
Following Saturday’s qualifying session, the Monegasque revealed that his Ferrari had been pulling to one side during the opening two segments, compromising his confidence and making it difficult to extract the car’s full potential.
Despite those difficulties, Leclerc qualified second, only 0.054s behind Max Verstappen, and believed Ferrari had possessed enough performance to challenge for pole position.
As Leclerc explained after qualifying, the car’s braking behaviour, mistakes on his final attempt and a possible misjudgement with the front-wing adjustment had prevented him from delivering a cleaner lap.
The issue reported during Sunday’s race was different in its immediate characteristics: rather than the car pulling under braking, Leclerc described an unexpected braking intervention when he had not requested one.
There is no confirmed evidence linking the two complaints to the same underlying fault.
Ferrari had also introduced minor components for Singapore, although Leclerc admitted that further upgrades would be necessary to challenge Red Bull consistently.
Leclerc survives scare to finish second behind Verstappen
Despite the unexpected braking episode, Leclerc completed the Singapore Grand Prix in second place, 7.3 seconds behind Verstappen, with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finishing third.
Ferrari had initially appeared capable of challenging the Red Bull driver, but tyre degradation prevented Leclerc from maintaining pressure throughout the race.
Hamilton endured a more difficult afternoon. The seven-time world champion started third but finished sixth after losing ground through the pit-stop sequence and struggling to recover in the closing stages.
Leclerc’s result nevertheless represented another podium for Ferrari, even as the team continued to face questions about the SF-26’s consistency and race execution.
The newly revealed radio exchange adds a technical dimension to that performance, showing that Leclerc had to manage an unexpected car behaviour while protecting second place.
Formula 1 returns at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 23–25. GRANDE PRÊMIO will follow Ferrari’s preparations and all the action through its Formula 1 coverage.
