Charles Leclerc prioritises Ferrari’s fight for second over 2026 wind tunnel advantages. Charles Leclerc says finishing second in the 2025 F1 Constructors’ Championship is more important than extra 2026 wind tunnel hours.

Charles Leclerc wants to aim for the best possible result in the 2025 Formula 1 season, which for Scuderia Ferrari means securing second place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Charles Leclerc aiming for P2
With the Constructors’ Championship already mathematically secured by McLaren, the battle among the top teams after the summer break is now focused on second place. It looks set to be a direct fight between Ferrari and Mercedes, with the Maranello-based team currently holding a 24-point advantage over the Brackley outfit. Red Bull Racing does not appear to be in contention, given the technical crisis affecting the RB21 car and the inconsistency of driver Yuki Tsunoda.

Finishing second does come with a potential disadvantage for the 2026 season. While it represents a stronger result in the current year, it also means fewer hours of wind tunnel and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) testing in the following season. This reduced aerodynamic development time could be significant, as 2026 marks the beginning of Formula 1’s new technical era, with brand-new chassis regulations and power units.

However, neither Scuderia Ferrari nor Charles Leclerc are interested in making these long-term strategic trade-offs at the expense of immediate performance. The Monegasque driver has stressed the importance of fighting for second place, while focusing entirely on his role as a racing driver. From his perspective, the priority is simple: get the best possible results on track, every weekend.

Charles Leclerc’s words
“I am quite sure it is better to finish second than third. Yes, there is also the matter of wind tunnel time, but it is not something we think about too much. When we are on track, we simply want to finish as high as possible, and later we can deal with the question of wind tunnel hours. We want to aim for the maximum,” said the Ferrari number 16.

“One of our objectives is definitely to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship, but the most important target is to return to winning races as soon as possible,” Charles Leclerc added when reflecting on a season in which Ferrari has yet to win a single Grand Prix. This was a scenario he did not expect at the start of the year and one that stands out as a blemish on a 2025 campaign where, from a performance standpoint, Leclerc has shown himself to be a fully mature and complete driver.