Charles Leclerc responded to questions about whether the Ferrari SF-26 might be closer to Lewis Hamilton’s driving style. The Monegasque driver also addressed several other interesting topics that deserve deeper analysis, explaining his perspective in detail.
After a very positive first part of the race in Australia, where Charles Leclerc was even fighting for the lead with George Russell, the Ferrari driver experienced some difficulties after the first stint. During that phase Lewis Hamilton began to close the gap and even threatened his teammate’s podium position. The Monegasque later expressed some frustration, which led to speculation that his comments were directed at the SF-26 itself, although that was not actually the case.
At the end of the opening race of the Formula 1 season in Australia, Charles Leclerc appeared somewhat dissatisfied with the overall performance he had delivered. Some observers interpreted those comments as criticism of the car, but ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix the Ferrari driver clarified the situation once and for all by explaining exactly what had happened during the weekend.
Leclerc on the SF-26
“Does the car favor Lewis? The first race depended only on me. My comment was purely about myself, without looking elsewhere. It’s just that I wasn’t happy with how I managed the weekend. I went in one direction with the setup in FP1, then in another direction in FP2 and FP3, in quite an extreme way. Then I tried to find a middle ground, but by then the track had evolved. In short, I was always a bit late in terms of setup and I wasn’t satisfied with how I managed the weekend, so there was performance left on the table from my side. I’m happy with where we are with the car and I don’t think it helps Lewis more than me or vice versa. I think we have enough freedom with the setup to make sure everything suits us.”
These were the words of the Ferrari driver ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, which finally clarify the issue. It is also important to remember that Formula 1 teams do not design a car specifically around the driving style of a single driver. Instead, they focus on building the fastest possible car. It is then up to the drivers themselves to adapt and work with the engineers to find the best setup that allows them to extract maximum performance.
“Probably, looking back at Melbourne, that was my mistake. You focus a lot on one aspect, but then you arrive in qualifying where you have to focus on the details and you realize that you didn’t pay enough attention to them.”
Charles Leclerc also discussed the topic of energy management, which in this new era of Formula 1 has become a crucial factor and influences the way the cars are driven more than many might expect.
The importance of energy and Ferrari’s start advantage
“When the energy isn’t positioned correctly it makes a huge difference. In FP1, especially when we are still trying to optimize everything, you still need to be very sensitive to what is happening with the chassis and with the aerodynamics in order to be ready for qualifying. It’s a different dynamic compared to the past. In previous years you would focus mainly on the biggest priority. Now the main priority in FP1 seems to be, and probably often will be, energy delivery. But then in qualifying the setup issues become more important. It’s a balance that I will refine after these first races.”
It is completely normal to experience these types of challenges given that the systems and procedures introduced with the latest generation of Formula 1 cars are entirely new. Drivers and teams simply need time to adapt as much as possible, even though Charles Leclerc has already shown that he is capable of adjusting quickly. The Monegasque driver was critical of himself mainly because he tends to be extremely self-demanding and constantly aims for perfection on track.
“The first laps in Australia were very fun. But I think soon we will all understand a bit better how to optimize battery management, and at that point overtaking could become difficult, to the extent that we might miss what we saw in Australia at the start of the race.”
Finally, Charles Leclerc also addressed the topic of race starts and the advantage that Ferrari currently appears to have compared to its rivals.
“I think for us it is easier to bring the car into a good window to have a strong launch off the line. For Mercedes this aspect seems to be more complicated, but I believe that within a few race weekends they will understand how to solve this situation and after a few races there won’t be a big difference between the cars when the Grands Prix start.”
Charles Leclerc’s candid self-assessment highlights the steep learning curve that even the most elite drivers are facing with the 2026 power units. By taking full responsibility for his Melbourne setup “yo-yo,” he has shut down any narrative of internal favoritism within Maranello. The grid now prepares for the Chinese Grand Prix and the focus shifts to whether the Monegasque can master the “energy vs. setup” balancing act during the high-pressure Sprint format. If Ferrari can maintain its launch-phase superiority while Charles Leclerc nails his qualifying trim, the SF-26 could prove to be the ultimate weapon for both of its world-class drivers. The battle in Shanghai isn’t just against the Silver Arrows—it’s against the stopwatch and the complexities of the new era.
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