The Melbourne paddock welcomed a relaxed Charles Leclerc, balancing reflections on his private life with technical thoughts about a Formula 1 championship that, with the introduction of the new regulatory cycle, is forcing drivers to adopt a very different approach compared to the past. The Ferrari driver also spoke to Sky about an important personal moment in his life, which arrived just on the eve of the start of the new season.
“Everything went really well, so we are super happy. Ale also came here with me to Australia, so it’s almost like a honeymoon, a wedding trip. She’s not entirely convinced that doing it here in Melbourne during the Grand Prix really counts as a honeymoon, but it’s still a beautiful trip.”
The irony did not disappear when he was asked whether his “marriage” with Ferrari might also be destined to last a very long time.
“Forever I don’t think anyone has ever managed it, but yes, we are talking about it.”
Beyond the jokes, the conversation quickly moved into the heart of the major technical transformation currently affecting Formula 1. According to Charles Leclerc, the biggest change does not only concern the pure performance of the cars, but also the way drivers must now construct and manage a lap.
“Now it’s becoming clearer and clearer what the directions are. There is always a driving style you can adopt to have more recharge or to use less energy. In the end it’s very strange to manage, because we have been programmed since we were three or four years old, since we first started racing, to always have the lap delta in front of our eyes and to always try to be faster by the end of the lap.”
The new balance between speed and energy management
The key point of this new generation of Formula 1 cars is energy management. It is a concept that in modern F1 already carries enormous importance, but with the latest technical regulations it becomes even more central, radically changing how drivers interpret the limit of the car.
“If you gain one tenth in a corner, it is definitely one tenth gained on the lap. Now strangely it is not always like that anymore. There are some corners where you might gain two tenths and you are very happy, but you are happy for three hundred meters, because after that, when the battery is empty, you lose five. So there is always this balance that is very difficult to find.”
This delicate balance becomes even more complicated during qualifying, when drivers are traditionally used to pushing to the absolute maximum and using every centimeter of the circuit to extract the best possible performance from the car.
“I imagine the most difficult part will be in qualifying, because when you are chasing the last hundredth your mind tells you that you want to brake ten meters later. But you have to regain control and tell yourself that you must brake at the same point every time, otherwise the battery will do something completely different. The approach is very different.”
Despite some of the doubts that had circulated in the paddock in recent months, the Ferrari driver believes that the development process is already producing significant improvements.
“Things move very quickly in Formula 1. Honestly I was also very critical last year with some comments, but it turned out much better than I expected from the simulator. From that moment until now we have made huge progress.”
“We are moving very fast with development, but all the teams are improving compared to the previous cars because there are so many new elements. Many of these problems will be solved, while others are simply part of the philosophy of this car. We release a lot of energy every time we go full throttle, so at some point you also need to find a compromise on the battery recharge side.”
The growing role of drivers in car development
Within this context, according to the Monegasque driver, the contribution of drivers to the technical development of the car has become even more important than in previous generations of Formula 1 machinery.
“In the end I enjoyed the process of finding performance much more than I expected. There is really a lot to discover.”
“Yes, we have given a lot of input. Before, on the power unit there was certainly some input from us, but more horsepower is always better. Now instead there is a big component linked to the drivability of the engine, and on that we have a lot to say to improve the situation.”
Even the winter preparation was adapted to meet the new demands introduced by the regulations.
“The preparation was extremely intense. We did a huge amount of work, not only during the off-season but also before that. The work started much earlier than usual and being included immediately in the development process was very interesting.”
Despite the increasing importance of strategic energy management, Charles Leclerc remains convinced that instinct will continue to play a decisive role in the key moments of a race weekend.
“I think instinct will always exist during a qualifying lap or in an overtaking move. During overtakes you will need to be creative, because battery management can make a huge difference. You can gain a lot if you do it well, or lose a lot if you don’t.”
“In qualifying instinct always makes the difference, so I don’t think there will be big changes in that respect.”
The Ferrari driver also spoke about his communication style, which is often very direct and spontaneous during interviews.
“What I say in interviews and the way I am as a person is something I don’t want to change, because it is part of who I am. Without the helmet I think I am quite a kind person, but with the helmet on I become very different.”
“When I put the helmet on the kindness probably disappears, because there you become another person. Like all drivers we want to improve our weak points, but on this I will not change.”
Regarding his reputation as a qualifying specialist, Leclerc believes his strength comes primarily from the mental aspect rather than from any particular technical detail of his driving style.
“I don’t think my strength in qualifying depends on a technical aspect or a particular feature of my driving. I think it mainly comes from the head.”
“At the end of the day we all know how to drive a car at the limit. On our best day I think we are all at the same level in this paddock. The difference is mental: you need to put everything together at the right moment and know where the limit of the car is without ever going beyond it.”
“That is what makes the difference between a good qualifying session and a less good one. So I don’t think much will change for those who were already strong in qualifying.”
“It will certainly be a bit different when you have to do lift and coast even in qualifying, which is a strange situation, but even there you will have to find the right limit.”
Ferrari’s winter work
Finally, Charles Leclerc reflected on the work Ferrari carried out during the winter months as the team prepared for the new era of Formula 1 regulations.
“We are mainly happy with how we worked. I have not heard a single person in the team say that we are satisfied, because as soon as we finish something we immediately think about what is ahead and we know there is still a huge amount of work to do.”
“But looking back, yes, I am happy. Last year one of the negative points we had identified was the pre-season test, because we struggled a lot to find results that we could carry forward during the year.”
“This year instead it was a very good test and we brought home some very important things. But everything is new and there is still a lot to learn.”
“Also because, as you said, everyone in the paddock says that every time they run a wind tunnel session they find much more gain compared to previous years. That can change things a lot during the season.”
The competitive picture
Charles Leclerc also shared his first impressions about the competitive order among the teams at the start of the season.
“I don’t know where the others are. Maybe Mercedes has another 50 horsepower and will bring it to the track. My feeling is that we are the second or third force together with Red Bull. McLaren seemed just a little bit behind.”
Charles Leclerc’s reflections on the 2026 season reveal a shift from pure “gut” driving to a calculated mental chess match, where managing battery deployment is just as critical as hitting a braking point. While Ferrari appears to have built a much more solid foundation than in previous years, Leclerc’s admission that the team is currently the “second or third force” suggests that the battle for supremacy in this new era will be a game of rapid development and strategic precision.
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