Charles Leclerc has rejected the suggestion that Ferrari has become Formula 1’s fourth-fastest team after finishing fourth in the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, while also revealing that an unexplained problem with his SF-26 prevented him from pushing properly on the soft tyres during the closing stages in Madrid.
The Monegasque completed an extraordinary 49 laps on the hard compound after starting the race on that tyre, extending his first stint while Ferrari waited for a Safety Car or red flag that could have transformed the result. The intervention never arrived, leaving Charles Leclerc fourth at the chequered flag after a race in which overtaking proved extremely difficult at Madring.
Charles Leclerc defends Ferrari after Spanish GP fourth place
Starting on the hard tyre was the right strategic choice for Ferrari given that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc lined up fourth and fifth respectively. Unfortunately, Lewis Hamilton was unable to take advantage of his soft tyres because an unfortunate brake failure forced the seven-time world champion to retire.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, chose not to pit and effectively ran as the virtual race leader, hoping for a red flag or Safety Car that could potentially have opened the door to victory. With passing so difficult around the Madrid circuit, waiting for a race neutralisation represented a genuine opportunity. However, fortune did not favour Ferrari.
The fundamental requirement at Madring appeared to be starting near the front, because once track position had been established, Charles Leclerc showed that Ferrari could manage the tyres extremely effectively. Speaking to the media after the race, the Monegasque explained why he had no regrets about the strategy.
“It was a risk to start on the hard tyres because, in terms of warm-up, it wasn’t great. The pace was pretty good, we waited for a Safety Car that never came, and it was the best thing to do from our position, so no regrets.
“Ferrari fourth force? I don’t think so. Yesterday in qualifying there was a little more potential and, once again, on my side we have an ADUO 1 engine. The car was good this weekend, but it is what it is. I can only blame myself and we’ll try to get back towards the front in the next races. What is certain is that it’s super tight. They did a better job than us this weekend.”
Charles Leclerc’s reference to the power unit comes after Ferrari raced the Madrid weekend with different specifications on its two cars, with the differences between the ADUO-1 and ADUO-2 Ferrari engines already visible in qualifying data.
Ferrari waited for a Safety Car that never came
It became a race built around waiting for an opportunity that ultimately never materialised. Charles Leclerc maintained a very consistent pace and managed the hard tyres impressively, but something was clearly not working as expected once Ferrari fitted the soft compound for the final stint.
“At the end of the race we were literally waiting for a miracle, hoping for a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car that unfortunately never materialised. It was an extremely tough race: physically, our car this year is particularly demanding to drive and on a track like this those difficulties are amplified.
“We completed a very good stint on the hard compound, while on the soft tyre the pace was missing, but for a specific reason that I cannot reveal publicly.”
Charles Leclerc reveals hidden problem on Ferrari’s soft tyres
The final stint therefore left an unanswered question. Charles Leclerc made clear that Ferrari’s lack of pace on the soft compound was not caused by the car’s balance or by the tyre itself. Instead, there was something on the SF-26 that prevented him from driving at the level he wanted.
“Certainly our performance on the soft tyres is our weak point because it has an impact on qualifying performance, but today it wasn’t about problems with the balance or the tyre itself: there was something on the car that prevented me from pushing as I would have liked.
“In the final nine laps, thinking about attacking third place had become impossible, which is why I focused exclusively on bringing the car to the finish. The next one will be better.”
The problem once again highlighted how heavily Ferrari’s race prospects can depend on qualifying. The SF-26 has often shown competitive race pace, but at circuits where overtaking is particularly difficult, starting behind its main rivals can make that speed difficult to exploit. Ferrari’s wider work on the car’s behaviour, tyre performance and technical development can be followed in the site’s Ferrari technical analysis coverage.
Despite missing the podium, Charles Leclerc’s 49-lap hard-tyre stint demonstrated strong consistency and tyre management. His fourth-place finish therefore left Ferrari with mixed feelings: the strategic gamble did not receive the Safety Car it needed, while an undisclosed car issue meant the final soft-tyre stint could not provide the late attack the team might otherwise have hoped for. More updates on the Monegasque’s season are available in the Charles Leclerc section.
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