From the ashes of Monaco to Silverstone. Leclerc is Ferrari’s red phoenix
Charles Leclerc’s victory at Silverstone could prove to be a defining turning point in the Monegasque driver’s 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
After the opening four races, during which the overwhelming dominance of the Silver Arrows left the rest of the field with little chance, Charles Leclerc could do no better than claim a handful of third-place finishes. Ferrari, however, gradually closed the performance gap to the Mercedes W17, taking a significant step forward just as hopes for bigger results began to grow.
Ironically, at the very moment the SF-26 finally appeared capable of supporting greater ambitions, the Ferrari driver entered the most difficult spell of his career since becoming the Scuderia’s leading man. The triple-header consisting of Monaco, Barcelona and Austria brought together everything that could go wrong: a lack of confidence in the car, anonymous performances, costly mistakes, technical problems and retirements.
It all happened while his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, was delivering one impressive result after another, culminating in victory at the Spanish Grand Prix and even putting himself into the Formula 1 title conversation. It was the kind of difficult period—made even worse by a storm of relentless criticism—that would have broken almost anyone, especially a driver who has dedicated his professional life to the Prancing Horse.
There seems to be something about these 2026 Formula 1 cars that does not suit the natural instincts of certain exceptional talents. Perhaps the biggest factor is the braking phase, where energy recovery has replaced the old approach of attacking scorching carbon discs and braking a fraction later than everyone else.
This more measured driving style may affect Charles Leclerc more than most. But if there is one thing he has demonstrated ever since that unforgettable race in Baku back in 2017—when he dominated just days after the death of his father, Hervé—it is that he possesses extraordinary resilience and the mental strength to fight back.
Post fata resurgo
His response, his rebirth from the ashes like the mythical phoenix, is not defined solely by his victory in Great Britain—helped by Kimi Antonelli’s retirement—but by the work he has put in behind the scenes, the responsibility he has consistently taken upon himself, and the words he spoke after qualifying on Saturday.
Charles Leclerc explained that he had rediscovered something important. He made it clear that he had no intention of abandoning his own driving style or simply copying Lewis Hamilton’s setup choices. Instead, he wanted to find his own path back to the front.
Now come the real tests
Next up are Belgium and Hungary, two circuits that could hardly be more different. In the past, they were relatively easy to predict, but in this new era of Formula 1, making accurate forecasts has become far more difficult—especially for those driving the Ferrari SF-26, a car that surprised almost everyone at Silverstone after arriving at the British Grand Prix with very modest expectations.
Charles Leclerc must now confirm that Silverstone was no isolated success. He needs to show that he is firmly back in control of Ferrari’s challenge and put his team in the difficult position of deciding where to place its championship focus as it tries to reduce the gap to the Silver Arrows, whose pace remains formidable despite occasional reliability concerns.
If Ferrari wants to rise again, it can always look to the example set by Charles Leclerc.
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