The start of a new Formula 1 season always brings excitement and anticipation for drivers, teams, and fans alike. This year, with such a significant technical revolution, interest is particularly high in understanding the competitive order once the lights go out. In an exclusive interview with Sky Sport F1, Charles Leclerc shared his first impressions and hopes for the new season with Ferrari, also touching on his future with the Scuderia.
Ferrari for life?
Leclerc, recently married to his partner Alexandra, was asked whether a “forever” deal with Ferrari is conceivable. While he didn’t commit, his love for the Cavallino Rampante is well-known. “A lifetime contract? I don’t know if that has ever been done,” he said. “But we are definitely talking about it.”
Chasing Mercedes
What most Ferrari fans are curious about is the SF-26’s potential to fight for the World Championship. Charles Leclerc remained cautious, providing only a preliminary assessment based on limited insights from pre-season testing. “We are happy with how we have worked,” he said. “One of the weak points in 2025 was the pre-season test, but this year it was very good and gave us a lot of information. Ranking the top four teams is tricky. We don’t know how hard others have pushed, and they don’t know our full potential. If Mercedes brings 50 more horsepower here in Australia, we’d be behind, but I hope that’s not the case. My feeling right now is that we are second or third, along with Red Bull, with McLaren slightly behind but very close. Mercedes, however, looks ahead. The developments throughout the season will matter a lot.”
Strong starts, a potential advantage
One area where Ferrari appears to have an edge is at race starts. On this subject, Leclerc expressed measured optimism, highlighting the robustness of the SF-26. “We are definitely more ‘robust’ than the others,” he told Sky. “Given the direction we have taken, that’s normal. But over the season, the others will find their robustness too. Regarding the peak performance at the start, even if the others do everything perfectly, I don’t think we will have a huge advantage—but I hope I’m wrong. The start is certainly a crucial part of the race, perhaps the most important given the difficulty overtaking we observed in testing, and in this area, we are certainly on the ‘good side.’”
Whether this advantage will be enough to kick off the 2026 World Championship with a win will only be revealed on Sunday at the Australian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc’s measured outlook suggests that while Ferrari has corrected the testing mistakes of previous years, the challenge posed by a dominant-looking Mercedes remains the primary obstacle in the 2026 title race. By identifying race starts as a key technical strength, the Monegasque underscores that in a season defined by complex new regulations and difficult overtaking, track position earned at the start could be Ferrari’s most valuable asset.
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