Charles Leclerc: Ferrari setup breakthrough came from “details in a specific phase of the corner”. Charles Leclerc explains the subtle SF-26 setup tweak that transformed his weekend.

After claiming victory at Silverstone, Charles Leclerc has shed more light on the Ferrari SF-26 setup changes that transformed his weekend. Although he initially described the adjustment as “quite radical,” the Monegasque later clarified that the breakthrough actually came from refining a few subtle details that better suited his driving style.

Leclerc’s turning point at Silverstone

Following a fifth-place finish in the Sprint, very few would have predicted Leclerc standing on the top step of the podium in Sunday’s British Grand Prix. At that stage, believing Ferrari could fight for victory required either remarkable optimism or complete faith in the Monegasque driver.

Yet, after the Sprint, Charles Leclerc appeared unusually confident. He hinted at what he described as a “rather radical” setup change that he believed could not only transform the remainder of the weekend but also influence his approach for future races.

The outcome could hardly have been better. Charles Leclerc rediscovered the confidence and feeling he had been searching for, qualifying second before converting that pace into a memorable Grand Prix victory.

What did Charles Leclerc change on the SF-26?

After initially referring to the modification as a radical change, Leclerc had already softened that description following qualifying. He reiterated the same point after the race during the post-race press conference.

“When I talk about a philosophical change, I’m really referring to small details that suit my driving style a little better in a specific phase of the corner. I don’t want to go into too much detail. But these were simply a few things I noticed in the data on Friday evening, and I told myself, ‘OK, these could just be aspects that don’t suit my driving style.’ We changed those few things between the Sprint race and qualifying, and the result was definitely much better.”

The Monegasque concluded by expressing his satisfaction at trusting his instincts throughout the process.

“I was very proud of the work we did to achieve this result because I don’t think this kind of change is ever completely obvious. It’s not enough to look at the data and say, ‘My God, OK, this is what we need to change.’ It’s a combination of intuition and feeling. We decided to try it, and it turned out to be a very successful direction for me. I was really happy with it.”