Charles Leclerc has explained why the 2026 F1 cars can punish a driver even after a seemingly logical change in driving style. According to the Ferrari driver, performance now depends on understanding the complex interaction between driver inputs, power unit configuration, software programming and electrical energy deployment.
Charles Leclerc discussed the hidden demands of the new generation of Formula 1 machinery ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Ferrari arrive with an SF-26 that should, on paper, be competitive enough to challenge Mercedes. However, the experience of Monaco showed why favourable circuit characteristics do not automatically guarantee a strong weekend, a point Charles Leclerc has already emphasised when discussing Ferrari’s prospects at the Hungaroring.
Mercedes remain the favourites, but Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will need to take any opportunities that arise. Ferrari’s operational work, the car’s set-up and its energy deployment strategies will all be fundamental, particularly with the available data suggesting a potentially close Ferrari versus Mercedes battle in Hungary.
Charles Leclerc on 2026 F1 cars: power unit configuration changes everything
Charles Leclerc believes the influence of the power unit and its programming makes it much harder for drivers to identify a problem and correct it through technique alone.
“I think it also depends a lot on the power unit and how everything is configured,” Charles Leclerc explained. “There are too many different variables. It is not like in the past, when you could look at the data and say: ‘This is where I am losing time, this is what I need to change in my driving style.’ If you change your driving style but the programming goes in the opposite direction, you end up being much worse than before.”
“I think you have to be very open-minded. I started the season feeling very comfortable with the car and very strong. Then I struggled in Monaco and Montreal, and I managed to improve a little by changing several things. But I do not think everything is so straightforward with these cars. Fully understanding the implications when you are even slightly off your best is much more difficult than it looks.”
The complexity means a change that would traditionally help a driver may instead disrupt the car’s energy-management strategy. Small differences in throttle application, traction or corner approach can influence how the system prepares and distributes electrical energy around the lap.
Why pushing beyond the limit can waste battery energy
Drivers must now pay close attention to battery use and several other interconnected factors. Rather than attacking at the maximum everywhere, they often need to preserve a margin, keep their driving clean and avoid inputs that compromise the software’s planned deployment. The effect of those energy rules will be particularly relevant at the Hungaroring, where FIA energy limits will shape deployment strategies throughout the weekend.
“I think pushing to the absolute limit is probably less rewarding than it was in the past,” Charles Leclerc said. “Because every time you go beyond the limit, every time you have some wheelspin, you waste energy because you are not moving forward but you are using the battery.”
“So all these elements make driving a little less pure and a little more of a strategy game, where you have to remain calm to reach the absolute limit, which is not my favourite exercise. But again, that is how it is and I have to optimise what I have.”
Charles Leclerc’s comments underline how the current cars place greater importance on precise management than technical continuity from one circuit to another. A team can arrive as a favourite based on the track layout but still struggle if it fails to understand one of the smaller variables that now have a decisive effect on performance.
Ferrari must interpret every detail at the Hungaroring
The challenge is not unique to Charles Leclerc or Ferrari. Every driver and team must understand how the car, power unit and control systems react at each circuit, with the reasons behind an unexpected performance loss often changing from one weekend to another.
“But this is not about me personally; it is about everyone in the paddock, and for that reason we do not have many excuses,” Charles Leclerc continued. “We simply have to deal with what we are given and maximise what we have, and that is why I am trying to understand everything fully.”
“But I still feel that all of us are caught out here and there at different tracks because it is never always the same reason that causes a problem, which makes everything quite complicated,” Charles Leclerc concluded.
That unpredictability explains why Ferrari cannot rely solely on the Hungaroring’s low and medium-speed layout, even though the circuit should suit some of the strongest characteristics of the SF-26. Extracting its full potential will depend on Ferrari understanding the smallest details before qualifying and the race.
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