Charles Leclerc has made it clear that Ferrari must continue fighting throughout the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season, even as Kimi Antonelli holds the advantage in the championship. While the Monegasque remains focused on returning to the top step of the podium and helping improve the SF-26, he has also revealed that Antonelli would be the rival he would most like to see crowned champion if Ferrari ultimately falls short.
The unusual show of support does not mean Leclerc has abandoned his own ambitions. Instead, his immediate priority after the summer break is to concentrate on winning races rather than becoming preoccupied with championship calculations. The Ferrari driver believes the work he has been carrying out is beginning to produce results and wants to turn that progress into further victories during the remaining Grands Prix.
Charles Leclerc targets more victories before thinking about the championship
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Charles Leclerc explained that he was not yet concentrating heavily on the championship standings. His primary objective is instead to win another race, with the Monegasque convinced that the work he has been putting in is paying off.
Leclerc has won once so far in 2026, taking victory at Silverstone after Kimi Antonelli encountered a problem while pursuing the Ferrari. That success demonstrated that opportunities remain available to the Scuderia when it can put itself in contention at the front, and Leclerc now wants to use the second half of the campaign to add further wins.
Rather than allowing the size of the championship challenge to dictate his approach, the Ferrari driver is therefore focusing on the more immediate target of extracting results from each weekend. Strong performances would not only improve his own position but would also give Maranello further opportunities to influence how the title battle develops.
Charles Leclerc backs Kimi Antonelli if Ferrari cannot win the title
Leclerc nevertheless offered a striking answer when considering what he would want to happen if Ferrari were unable to secure the 2026 championship. He acknowledged that he would be happy for Kimi Antonelli to become world champion in that scenario.
The Ferrari driver highlighted Antonelli’s enormous passion for Formula 1 and suggested that the Mercedes youngster reminds him of himself when he first entered the championship. It was a notable endorsement of a direct rival, particularly given Antonelli’s position at the head of the standings heading towards the Dutch Grand Prix.
Antonelli currently approaches the next phase of the season with a significant championship advantage over his rivals. Leclerc’s comments therefore combine respect for the Mercedes driver with the recognition that Ferrari still has work to do if it wants to alter the direction of the title fight.
Ferrari SF-26 development remains central to Leclerc’s 2026 hopes
For Leclerc, however, the more important message concerns Ferrari itself. He wants the team to maintain an aggressive development programme and continue searching for gains from the SF-26 instead of accepting the competitive order established during the opening half of the campaign.
The importance of that approach became particularly clear to him after McLaren’s performance improvement in Hungary. Leclerc argued that upgrades have become even more influential than they were in the past because a successful development step can produce a substantial change in competitiveness.
That makes Ferrari’s work during the summer period particularly significant. The Scuderia is already assessing the key areas of SF-26 development during the summer break, while the wider technical battle is likely to remain one of the defining elements of the second half of the season.
Leclerc pointed to McLaren as an example of why Ferrari cannot afford to ease its efforts. The Monegasque believes the team must remain focused and aggressive with its development programme because the competitive picture can move quickly when a rival finds an effective upgrade.
Ferrari cannot afford to stop believing after the summer break
The message from Leclerc is therefore not one of resignation despite Antonelli’s championship position. His admiration for the Mercedes driver applies only to a scenario in which Ferrari is unable to win the title itself. Until that point is reached, his priority remains improving the car, pursuing victories and giving the Maranello team every possible chance to move forward.
Ferrari’s development rate will be especially important as Formula 1 enters the decisive part of the season, with every technical step potentially affecting a tightly contested competitive order. Further analysis of the car’s progress and changes can be found in ScuderiaFans’ Ferrari technical analysis section.
The next opportunity to assess the situation will come at Zandvoort, where the 2026 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix begins the post-summer-break phase of the campaign. Antonelli will arrive as the championship leader, but Leclerc’s objective remains unchanged: win more races and ensure Ferrari continues pushing the SF-26 as hard as possible.
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