Charles Leclerc has played down expectations surrounding Ferrari’s latest SF-26 upgrades for the 2026 United States Grand Prix, insisting that the new components are not revolutionary but could still provide the small performance improvement needed to fight for victory. Speaking on Thursday ahead of the Austin weekend, the Monegasque driver expressed hope that Ferrari’s fourth development package of the season would help the team challenge its closest rivals more consistently.
Ferrari arrives at the Circuit of The Americas with two notable changes: a special livery developed in collaboration with HP and another collection of technical updates for the SF-26. While the arrival of new parts has generated considerable anticipation, Leclerc believes expectations should remain realistic until the improvements have been tested on track.
The Ferrari driver also discussed the changing competitive order between Formula 1’s leading teams, the unusual driving techniques required by the 2026 cars and the valuable lessons he continues to learn from teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Charles Leclerc explains Ferrari’s Austin upgrade expectations
With the United States Grand Prix approaching, Charles Leclerc expects the leading four teams to be separated by relatively small margins. The Monegasque believes that even modest development gains can have a considerable effect on the competitive order when the gaps are this narrow.
He pointed to Red Bull as an example of how a relatively small upgrade can help a team move forward in a closely contested championship.
“I expect the top four teams to be very close, that’s for sure. Recently, we’ve seen that as soon as someone brings an upgrade, even if it’s not particularly significant, it’s enough to move from fourth to first. Red Bull has clearly demonstrated that.”
Leclerc hopes Ferrari can achieve something similar with the components introduced at Austin, although he does not anticipate a dramatic change in the team’s performance.
“I hope we can demonstrate that as well this weekend with the few upgrades we’ve brought, even though they’re nothing spectacular. So, on paper, the competitive order we’ve seen in previous races shouldn’t change. That said, I firmly believe it will be a completely open battle, just as it has been in recent races.”
The comments underline the importance of relatively small gains during a season in which the leading teams have frequently been closely matched. A modest improvement could be enough to change the outcome of qualifying or influence the fight for the leading positions without fundamentally transforming the SF-26.
Ferrari has been preparing this development step as part of its efforts to maintain competitiveness against its rivals. The SF-26 upgrade package for Austin follows earlier concerns expressed by Charles Leclerc about the need for continued technical progress.
Ferrari’s fourth SF-26 upgrade package is not expected to transform the car
Charles Leclerc was particularly careful to manage expectations when discussing the technical changes arriving at the Circuit of The Americas.
Although Ferrari’s latest developments have attracted considerable attention, the Monegasque stressed that their expected impact is more limited than some suggestions have indicated.
“Well, actually, they’re not as important as many people are saying… I mean, there’s been a lot of talk about them, but they’re not as significant as you might think. It’s a small step in the right direction; obviously, as always, that’s exactly the objective.”
The new components had not yet been fitted and evaluated on track when Leclerc made his comments. Ferrari must therefore complete its initial running before determining whether the expected improvement has materialised.
“We still need to fit them to the car, complete the first laps and check whether the step forward we expected has actually happened. However, I’ve heard that other teams are also bringing significant upgrades, so we’ll see where we stand compared with them.”
That final point could prove important. Even if Ferrari achieves the performance gain predicted by its simulations, the relative improvement will depend on what Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull introduce during the same weekend.
The Monegasque nevertheless hopes that the modifications will help the Scuderia move closer to competing regularly for the top step of the podium.
“I’m not expecting anything extraordinary, but I hope they help us make that small step forward we need to fight for victory.”
The challenge is not simply introducing new aerodynamic components but confirming that they deliver the intended benefits under real driving conditions. For Ferrari, the first sessions at Austin will therefore be important in establishing whether the latest developments have achieved their objectives.
Following Charles Leclerc’s second-place finish in Singapore, there has already been discussion about why Ferrari’s recent performance offers encouragement ahead of the Austin upgrades. The new package provides another opportunity to assess whether the team can build on that competitiveness.
Charles Leclerc explains the unusual driving techniques required by 2026 F1 cars
Beyond Ferrari’s technical development, Charles Leclerc also reflected on the adjustments drivers have been forced to make under Formula 1’s 2026 regulations.
According to the Monegasque, the current generation of cars requires driving techniques that are considerably different from those he had previously experienced during his career.
“As far as driving style is concerned, these cars force us to do things we’ve never done before in our careers. I think that’s always good for a driver’s versatility: throughout your professional career, you have to learn to drive different cars to add new tools to your technical repertoire and be able to deal with any situation.”
Although adapting to unfamiliar techniques is not necessarily enjoyable, Leclerc believes the experience can make a driver more versatile over the longer term.
“This year, more than in the past, we’ve sometimes had to adopt some really unusual driving styles. It’s not something I particularly enjoy, but I think it will be useful to me as a driver in the long term.”
His assessment highlights the additional demands created by the latest technical regulations. Drivers must not only understand the characteristics of their cars but also adapt their techniques to extract performance under operating conditions that differ from previous generations. For Ferrari, developing a competitive SF-26 therefore involves both technical improvements and the drivers’ ability to exploit the available performance effectively.
Charles Leclerc reveals how Lewis Hamilton helps him improve at Ferrari
Charles Leclerc also spoke positively about his working relationship with Lewis Hamilton, explaining that the presence of the seven-time world champion continues to provide valuable opportunities to learn and improve.
Rather than viewing the partnership solely as an internal rivalry, Leclerc described how the two drivers encourage each other to extract the maximum from their performances every race weekend.
“And as far as Lewis is concerned, absolutely yes: we push each other to give our best every weekend. There are weekends when he’s simply incredibly fast, and on those occasions I learn a tremendous amount.”
The Monegasque explained that observing Hamilton’s data and understanding his approach to driving the car can be valuable even when Leclerc himself has delivered a strong performance.
“And even when I do a good job, I still learn so much from Lewis, simply by looking at his data, trying to understand his approach and the way he manages the car, because he’s incredibly good at that.”
The opportunity to study his teammate’s methods has become an important part of Leclerc’s development as a driver, especially during a season in which the regulations have demanded significant changes in driving style.
“There’s always something to learn every weekend. I’ve got a notebook full of notes; I probably have more than ever since Lewis joined the team.”
The comments offer an insight into the relationship between Ferrari’s two drivers and the way they use their different experiences to improve their understanding of the SF-26. Although both drivers are competing to achieve the strongest possible results, their collaboration also provides Ferrari with valuable feedback as it attempts to optimise its car under the new regulations.
These exchanges are particularly relevant when the performance differences between the leading teams are small and improvements in how the car is driven can complement the work carried out by engineers.
Charles Leclerc expects a close Austin battle but warns about Mercedes
Looking beyond Ferrari’s own development programme, Charles Leclerc believes the United States Grand Prix could produce another closely contested fight between Formula 1’s leading teams.
However, the Monegasque identified Mercedes as a potentially important exception to the recent competitive picture. In his assessment, Mercedes has not always demonstrated the level of performance Ferrari expected from the German manufacturer during the latest Grands Prix. If the team succeeds in unlocking that potential, Leclerc believes it could move ahead of the rest of the field.
“I think the only exception in recent races was perhaps Mercedes, who we expected to be further ahead than they actually were. If they finally manage to unlock the performance we thought they had in recent races, then I think they’ll be ahead of everyone else. But otherwise, it will be a very close battle.”
That possibility adds another element of uncertainty to the Austin weekend. Ferrari’s upgrades could help narrow the gap to its rivals, but their impact must be considered alongside the development and performance potential of the other leading teams.
For the Scuderia, the immediate objective is to establish whether the fourth upgrade package of the season delivers the predicted improvement and whether that gain is sufficient to strengthen its chances of fighting for victory.
With Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc continuing to exchange technical feedback and push each other on track, Ferrari will be looking to maximise every available performance gain.
The first opportunity to evaluate the new components will come during the opening practice sessions at the Circuit of The Americas. Fans can follow the 2026 United States Grand Prix schedule and Austin weekend guide for the complete programme.
Charles Leclerc is not expecting a revolution from Ferrari’s latest developments. His hope is that a small, measurable improvement, combined with the team’s existing competitiveness, will be enough to bring the SF-26 another step closer to challenging for victory.
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