The relationship between Charles Leclerc and Ferrari could come to an end in 2026, as a former Ferrari driver delivers his verdict and shares his thoughts: “In his place, I wouldn’t necessarily want to have…”.
The Maranello-based Scuderia must try to return to being competitive straight away if it wants to keep Charles Leclerc beyond 2026, and a former Ferrari driver has decided to speak about it: “In his place, I wouldn’t necessarily want to have…”. Here is the interview.
There are many teams interested in the Monegasque and they are certainly just waiting for the driver’s definitive green light to move forward with a proper contract. Ferrari, on the other hand, is looking at 2026 as an all-or-nothing year, because it was Leclerc himself who issued something of an ultimatum after the Abu Dhabi finale last year. Car number 16 wants stability and concrete assurances that he can fight to win. Frédéric Vasseur’s team has been working on the SF-26 for several months, and failing to be among the frontrunners under the new regulatory framework would be a failure.
Now Ivan Capelli has decided to express his opinion on the situation surrounding the Ferrari driver and the Maranello team, speaking to the microphones of Fanpage.it.
Capelli: “Leclerc will find himself at a particular moment”
“Leclerc will find himself at a particular moment. If Ferrari performs well straight away in 2026, fine. Or at the very least he will need the certainty that he has chances for the following years. Otherwise, he could think about something different. In his place, I wouldn’t necessarily want to have the car that dominates the championship, but I would ‘settle’ for a car that allows me to fight until the very last race, and then I would put something of my own into it.
When you find yourself with a competitive car, you have greater confidence. You do special things knowing that the car follows you.”
Capelli’s opinions certainly make sense, but it must also be said that Ferrari has never provided Leclerc with a car that was truly strong enough over the course of an entire season. Not admitting that the failure comes first and foremost from Maranello would mean acting in bad faith.
After all, the former Italian driver, now a Sky Sport pundit, also underlined how it is always Charles who drags the team into positions that the performance of the single-seater would not normally justify.
“Charles is one of those drivers who, whether because of his driving instinct or because he has nailed the setup, always manages to find that minimal solution that completely changes the story of a weekend. So Leclerc does his part, he makes the difference at Ferrari, and you find him ahead by even half a second. And then you think, how is that possible? Why? How does he manage it? There is no answer.”
