What happened: Ferrari confirmed Charles Leclerc received an official exemption from Thursday media duties in São Paulo following the birth of his daughter, Bianca. The Monegasque driver is scheduled to arrive in Brazil in time to resume track activities for Friday afternoon's second practice session. Reserve driver Dino Beganovic will handle FP1 duties after Ferrari's initial plan to run rookie Rafael Camara changed following Camara's seat promotion at Haas.

Why it matters: The compressed track schedule comes with four rounds remaining in the 2026 season as the contest for second place intensifies behind crowned champion Kimi Antonelli. Ferrari, which signed Leclerc to a multi-year contract renewal earlier this season, holds fifth in the drivers' championship with Leclerc trailing second-place Max Verstappen by 16 points.

What to watch: Beganovic runs Friday morning's opening practice session before Leclerc returns to the cockpit for FP2. Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix gets underway at Interlagos.