Charles Leclerc has described the extraordinary bond between Ferrari and Monza, recalling his unforgettable 2019 Italian Grand Prix victory while explaining why the Scuderia’s home race remains unlike any other weekend on the Formula 1 calendar. Speaking to Motorsport.com, the Monegasque also discussed the characteristics of the 2026 car, the latest developments on the SF-26 and his complete belief in Frédéric Vasseur’s long-term Ferrari project.
For Charles Leclerc, Monza is a place where the normal rules seem to disappear. The pressure, workload and emotion all increase, but so does the motivation provided by the thousands of Ferrari supporters who transform the circuit and Milan into a sea of red. Six years after his famous 2019 triumph, those memories remain vivid.
Charles Leclerc recalls the extraordinary final laps of his 2019 Monza win
Asked what image first comes to mind when he closes his eyes and thinks about Monza 2019, Charles Leclerc immediately remembered the supporters rising to their feet during the closing stages.
“The first image is of the fans standing up during the final laps of the race. I’m never usually drawn to what is happening in the grandstands. I’m always focused on the track because you know how important it is not to get distracted. But that day, I remember there was so much madness in the stands that during the final three or four laps I started looking around and I could see the crowd.”
The Ferrari driver also remembers his fierce battle with Lewis Hamilton, which pushed both drivers to the limit on more than one occasion, before the emotions of climbing out of the car and appearing on the Monza podium completed an unforgettable afternoon.
“Then I have images of the battle with Lewis Hamilton, and I remember that we reached the limit on a couple of occasions. Finally, there are the memories that are less surprising: getting out of the car and the podium.”
Why the Italian Grand Prix week demands something different
The preparation for Monza is technically no different from any other Grand Prix, but Charles Leclerc admitted that the week feels different almost subconsciously. The sheer number of commitments surrounding Ferrari’s home event creates a much heavier human and emotional workload than a normal race weekend.
“I think subconsciously it is something different. It’s such a unique and demanding week, especially from a human point of view. There isn’t different preparation because we always prepare as well as possible, whether we are going to Baku, Singapore or any other circuit. The preparation is always the same.”
What changes is how Charles Leclerc manages his energy away from the circuit. Every available moment becomes valuable as he tries to avoid arriving at race day already exhausted.
“There are signs that show how different Monza is. When Monza week begins, I try to switch off whenever I can. Even if I have ten minutes, I isolate myself and recover a little. It’s important because it’s a week in which we really have so many things to do.”
Experience has helped him learn how to handle those demands. His first Monza weekend as a Ferrari Formula 1 driver ended with an extraordinary victory, but the physical and emotional cost remained with him well beyond Sunday night.
“It was a demanding week, followed by that incredible victory. So on Sunday night I didn’t sleep very much, and on Monday I was completely exhausted. I remember that at the next race I was still carrying some of the fatigue from Monza. I hadn’t fully recovered yet.”
With Formula 1 seasons now so long, the Ferrari driver believes avoiding unnecessary fatigue has become particularly important. Yet Monza is unusual because the positive energy surrounding the team can mask just how demanding the week has actually been.
“If we think about how long the seasons are today, it’s extremely important not to accumulate extra fatigue. During Monza week you don’t feel the tiredness too much because there is so much positivity around. It motivates you so much that, in the moment, you don’t feel the fatigue.”
Asked whether he would willingly accept being tired again on the Monday after the race, Charles Leclerc had no hesitation. With Madrid following on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar, recovery would matter, but not enough to change his priorities.
“One hundred per cent, even very, very tired. It’s true that next weekend there is Madrid, where I think there will be a good challenge, but I’m ready to take the risk if it means winning at Monza.”
Ferrari and the Tifosi: a connection Charles Leclerc says goes beyond logic
The extraordinary relationship between Ferrari and its supporters was visible again during the traditional gathering in Piazza Duomo. Generations change, drivers come and go, yet the sea of red surrounding Ferrari at Monza remains one of Formula 1’s defining images.
“That’s what makes Ferrari unique: it goes beyond generations. If there were an explanation, somebody would already have tried to replicate what we all see, but Ferrari is unique because it goes beyond logic. And that is precisely the beautiful part, what makes Ferrari special. When we go to Piazza Duomo, as we do every year, whether things are going badly or well, there is always a huge sea of red waiting for us.”
Even after years of experiencing that support, Charles Leclerc insists it never becomes normal. Formula 1 drivers inevitably become accustomed to many unusual aspects of their lives, but the atmosphere surrounding Ferrari during the Italian Grand Prix remains capable of surprising him.
“You never get used to it at all. What we experience during the year isn’t exactly a normal life, but over time you get used to many things. We know we can count on so much support everywhere in the world, and even that is something only Ferrari can rely on.”
“But when you arrive at Monza, well, everything goes up another level. It’s always a shock, especially because Milan is a big city and when Grand Prix week arrives, you get the impression that it stops to celebrate Ferrari above all. And that makes the moment very special.”
Why Monza feels different with the 2026 Formula 1 cars
Charles Leclerc has already experienced Monza in the 2026 machinery, and one characteristic stands out. Traditionally, the Temple of Speed forced Formula 1 teams to strip away as much aerodynamic load as possible in pursuit of maximum straight-line performance. According to the Ferrari driver, teams could remove more than 100 points of downforce compared with their regular configurations.
“It is different, definitely, especially in one respect. Monza has always been very difficult because, ahead of this weekend, the cars would lose all the aerodynamic load possible, even more than 100 points of downforce. The teams removed every winglet they possibly could.”
The situation is different in 2026. Instead of arriving with an extremely specialised Monza configuration, the current cars will remain much closer to the specifications used at other circuits. That could remove part of the distinctive character traditionally associated with the Italian venue.
“This year, however, the car will be much more similar to the one used at all the other circuits, and that will make Monza a little strange because it will lose some of its unusual character.”
Ferrari has nevertheless continued working on SF-26 developments for the Italian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc hoping the changes can help the team during its home weekend.
Charles Leclerc gives his verdict on the Monza trophy
There was a lighter moment when Charles Leclerc was asked whether he had seen this year’s Italian Grand Prix trophy. His affection for Italy did not translate into quite the same enthusiasm for the design itself.
“Well, I love Italy, I really love Italy. But if I have to talk about the trophy itself, I can’t say I was crazy about it. But…”
Asked whether that opinion would matter if the trophy were handed to him on Sunday, his answer was immediate.
“That, definitely! But beyond the trophy, the real prize for whoever wins at Monza is standing on that podium. It’s the most beautiful thing of the year. So whatever trophy they give me, I’ll be the happiest man in the world.”
Charles Leclerc explains the new challenge of adapting to the 2026 cars
Driver adaptability has become one of the major themes of the 2026 Formula 1 season because of the scale of the technical change. Charles Leclerc believes the very best drivers must ultimately be able to adapt regardless of the machinery beneath them.
“A good driver, the best driver, has to adapt to any situation. Whatever the car, whatever the engine or its characteristics, that driver has to emerge. If tomorrow we were driving in another category, the best driver would still emerge because that driver would know how to adapt to what was available.”
However, Charles Leclerc acknowledged that this season has required drivers to reconsider principles that had been ingrained in them since karting. One of the clearest examples concerns acceleration out of a corner. Traditionally, getting on the throttle as early as possible was almost automatically desirable, but the energy demands of the 2026 cars have complicated that logic.
“It’s also true that this season there has been one of the biggest changes in every driver’s career. I say that because we have always had some basic concepts that we learned as children in karting and carried with us for years, and some of those are not always true today.”
“When you come out of a corner, you always try to accelerate as early as possible, but this year you realise that what you gain on corner exit you then lose at the end of the straight. At least initially, that was quite strange. Having said that, I think you have to adapt, and that is the work I did during three race weekends in which I struggled a little.”
Ferrari brings new SF-26 developments into an unpredictable Monza weekend
As for Ferrari’s chances at the Italian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc believes the competitive picture remains open. One Mercedes is set to start from the back, but the Monegasque stressed that the 2026 season has repeatedly produced results that were difficult to predict from expectations before a weekend.
“Everything is open. There are many scenarios, especially in a season like this. We saw Silverstone, where we expected to be a long way behind and in the end we managed to win. At Spa we expected a difficult weekend and we were very strong. On the other hand, at Monaco and Budapest we expected to be strong and we weren’t.”
For Charles Leclerc, the lesson is that execution has become particularly important. Small failures to optimise the package can now carry a greater competitive penalty than in previous seasons.
“I think it’s quite clear that this year, if you don’t optimise everything 100 per cent, you pay a higher price than in previous seasons. Coming back to Monza, Mercedes are certainly the favourites and they will be strong even with the penalty, but I can say that we have worked a lot and there are some new things on the car that I hope can help us make the difference.”
That assessment comes as expectations continue to build around Ferrari’s potential performance at Monza. The Scuderia’s challenge will be to translate its technical work into a fully optimised weekend at a circuit where even small differences can become decisive.
Ferrari’s innovation impresses Charles Leclerc
Asked what has surprised him most about this year’s Ferrari compared with the previous car, Charles Leclerc did not identify one particular performance characteristic. Instead, he highlighted the team’s development philosophy and willingness to pursue different ideas under the new regulations.
“More than one specific characteristic, I was surprised by the approach. In terms of innovations and the new parts we have brought, I think we have made a huge step forward. And that isn’t down to luck, but to the fact that everyone has worked to try to optimise everything possible.”
Among the solutions that caught his attention were the so-called Macarena wing and Ferrari’s FTM concept. The Scuderia has continued developing the latter for its home event, including specific SF-26 FTM changes for Monza.
“Then the opportunity was taken to have a slightly different interpretation of the new regulations, as in the case of the ‘Macarena’ wing or the FTM solution. I was pleased to see these innovations because, for me, the approach is the most important thing.”
Charles Leclerc is fully committed to Frédéric Vasseur’s Ferrari project
The conversation also turned to the long-term future of Formula 1’s leading drivers. With Lando Norris and Max Verstappen having extended their contracts through 2030, Charles Leclerc was asked whether drivers were becoming reluctant to change teams.
“I can’t speak about the choices of others. I don’t know what motivated them to make those decisions. As far as I’m concerned, no, it isn’t fear of change.”
For Charles Leclerc, remaining at Ferrari is not simply an emotional decision. Although his affection for the team is well established, he stressed that committing to a long-term future would make little sense without genuine confidence in the project and the people leading it.
“As I’ve always said, I love this team, but the decision to extend a contract goes beyond that. You can’t choose to stay with a team if you don’t believe in the project, and I really believe in it.”
That confidence extends directly to Frédéric Vasseur, with whom Charles Leclerc has now worked for several seasons. The Ferrari driver made clear that he fully supports the direction being pursued at Maranello and believes the work currently taking place will eventually deliver results.
“I’ve been here for many years now, and I’ve worked with Frédéric Vasseur for a few years. He explained his vision to me and I’m 200 per cent with him. I’m convinced that the work we are doing will pay off, and that is why I’m still here.”
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