After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc can only look ahead to 2026, and the Monegasque shared his thoughts following the final race of the season.
Charles Leclerc ended the Abu Dhabi GP in fourth place, fighting for most of the race with Lando Norris while hoping for a mistake from the British driver. That error never came, and as a result Charles Leclerc missed out on what would have been his eighth podium finish of the season. This brings an extremely complicated year to a close for Ferrari and for the #16, and these were his words after the final race of the championship.
Once again, Charles Leclerc pushed beyond the limits in an attempt to secure a podium in the last race of the year. Despite the well-known limitations of the SF-25, the Monegasque delivered an exceptional performance, managing to keep pace with McLaren and Red Bull. For a moment, it even looked like he could challenge Lando Norris, but the superiority of the British car ultimately prevented Ferrari’s lead driver since 2019 from attempting any real attack. Now his focus shifts to 2026, a decisive season for the future of both Ferrari and the #16.
Leclerc and Ferrari’s 2026 challenge
“I don’t think the approach to 2026 changes anything in the way we think day by day. It only makes a difference in the public perception, because when expectations are created people start imagining things beyond reality. It’s also true that this year we could have communicated better. But when Hamilton arrives at Ferrari, two icons together, communication becomes difficult to manage. I don’t think expectations were created by us, but by the environment and the overall situation. That said, we cannot control what is outside the team, but we can stay motivated and push. I really hope this situation hurts, because a Ferrari finishing fourth and 400 points behind McLaren hurts me. I hope we can change this picture next year. We will see. Honestly, this time I have no expectations for 2026, since it is a blank sheet of paper and we don’t know where we will start from.”
The Monegasque driver, as he had already stated, does not expect anything specific from 2026. Once again, Charles Leclerc tried to ‘protect’ Ferrari, almost pointing outside the team at the expectations created at the beginning of the year. Naturally, such expectations are understandable when you fight for the world title until the last race of 2024; winning becomes the natural objective. So in this sense, external observers were not wrong to apply pressure — it was a natural chain of events. “I think the whole team is extremely motivated for next year, because it is a huge change, an enormous opportunity to show what Ferrari is capable of. And it’s now or never, so I really hope we will start this new era on the right foot, because it will be important for the next four years.” – the 28-year-old driver concluded at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
With the biggest regulation shake-up since 2022 looming, Charles Leclerc knows the 2026 car will define not just next season but Ferrari’s entire cycle. Fourth place and zero wins in 2025 was painful – finishing the new era the same way would be unforgivable. Message received, loud and clear.
