Charles Leclerc believes Mercedes has a significant advantage over Ferrari on the internal combustion side of its 2026 Formula 1 power unit, with the difference particularly visible on Monza’s long straights. Although Ferrari will start the Italian Grand Prix from the second row with Leclerc third and Lewis Hamilton fourth, the Monegasque driver expects the SF-26 to remain vulnerable in the race because of its straight-line limitations.
Qualifying produced a Mercedes-powered top three on the road, with Pierre Gasly’s Alpine ahead of George Russell’s Mercedes and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. However, Piastri was subsequently penalised for impeding, promoting the two Ferraris by one position and giving the Scuderia control of the second row for its home race.
Charles Leclerc refuses to raise Ferrari expectations at Monza
Starting third and fourth creates an intriguing opportunity for Ferrari, but Leclerc was keen to temper expectations ahead of the Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver believes the SF-26 should perform better over a race distance, although its strengths and weaknesses are likely to be very different depending on the section of the circuit.
“I expect that in the race we can be stronger, but we will struggle on the straights and that will make us very vulnerable compared to the others,” Charles Leclerc explained. “We will be quick in the corners and hopefully that can help us stay with them.”
Ferrari’s cornering performance has been one of the more encouraging aspects of its Monza package. During the weekend, the SF-26 showed particular strength through the chicanes and a distinctive approach to energy deployment, but the long full-throttle sections continue to expose the areas where Mercedes appears stronger.
Leclerc explains Ferrari’s Mercedes engine disadvantage
Speaking to journalists in the mixed zone, Leclerc offered a more detailed assessment of what he sees as Ferrari’s clear power-unit deficit, despite the ADUO upgrade introduced for Monza.
“There are straights where we have to choose not to push at the maximum,” he explained. “But Mercedes pushes at the maximum precisely on the straights where we cannot. Inevitably, there will be a big difference on some straights. We will see if we can pull off some miracles by surprising them somewhere else.”
The problem therefore goes beyond a simple comparison of peak speed. Under the 2026 regulations, how and where electrical energy is deployed across the lap has become a major performance factor, especially at Monza. Ferrari’s latest development programme has consequently focused on the efficiency of the entire system rather than horsepower alone, as detailed in our analysis of why the SF-26 Monza power-unit upgrade is about more than outright power.
Mercedes ICE performance impresses Charles Leclerc
Leclerc then suggested that the internal combustion engine itself is the area of the Mercedes power unit that has particularly caught his attention, despite the FIA measurements.
“It becomes a vicious circle,” the Ferrari driver explained. “As soon as you have much more power, you start deploying it later out of the corners because the power unit gives you more power on corner exit. I would bet that their ICE is significantly superior.”
His reasoning is that additional combustion power can influence how the hybrid system is used throughout the lap. If more performance is available from the ICE during acceleration, electrical energy can be deployed differently, potentially creating further advantages later along the straight.
Ferrari has already encountered difficulties in optimising that interaction during the Monza weekend. Leclerc previously detailed power-unit energy-management problems during qualifying, underlining how sensitive the 2026 cars have become to operating the complete system within its ideal window.
Ferrari hopes cornering pace can offset Monza straight-line weakness
Despite those concerns, Ferrari enters the Italian Grand Prix from a competitive grid position. Leclerc and Hamilton will start immediately behind Gasly and Russell following Piastri’s penalty, giving the Maranello team a chance to remain involved at the front if its race pace proves stronger than its qualifying performance.
The challenge will be protecting that position on Monza’s long straights. Leclerc expects the SF-26 to be competitive through the corners, but he is under no illusion about the threat posed by cars that can deploy more power where Ferrari is forced to manage its resources.
For the Scuderia, the race will therefore be about maximising its strengths while limiting exposure in the areas where Mercedes-powered cars hold the advantage. Starting from the second row keeps Ferrari firmly in the fight, but Leclerc’s assessment makes clear that maintaining contact with the leaders will require an exceptionally well-executed race.
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