Charles Leclerc’s victory at Silverstone marked an important turning point after several difficult weekends with the Ferrari SF-26. However, despite the breakthrough result, the Monegasque driver insists he is not ready to declare victory in his ongoing battle to fully understand and feel comfortable with Ferrari’s 2026 Formula 1 car.
A matter of confidence and feeling
“The feeling will come back in Monaco,” Charles Leclerc had said after a disappointing Canadian Grand Prix weekend. However, his home race ended in frustration when he crashed following the restart after a Safety Car period, an incident that ultimately confirmed Ferrari’s well-publicized braking system issues.
That all-important feeling with the car—the confidence that is so crucial, particularly from a driver’s psychological perspective—only truly returned during Saturday and Sunday at Silverstone. It came after meticulous work behind the scenes, although the Ferrari driver attempted to play down the extent of those efforts.
Leclerc remains cautious despite Silverstone breakthrough
Speaking during the post-race press conference, Charles Leclerc stressed that he must avoid believing a single successful weekend means all of Ferrari’s problems have disappeared.
“It’s only one race, and I mustn’t fool myself into thinking the war is over. The battle with this car has been tough recently, and I can’t take it for granted that I’ve left it behind. I’ll continue working, trying to rediscover that feeling more consistently in the future.”
Looking ahead to the next race weekend, Charles Leclerc also made it clear that chasing victory alone would be the wrong mindset.
“Focusing only on winning at Spa would be the wrong approach,” he added. “Instead, I’ll concentrate on the process that’s needed to find the ideal feeling with the car and maximise its performance.”
While the Silverstone victory was a major confidence boost, Charles Leclerc remains focused on long-term consistency to overcome his ongoing challenges with the Ferrari SF-26.
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