F1 | Leclerc and that pain that returns at the end of every season: “It hurts a lot” – Abu Dhabi GP
Charles Leclerc watches the world title showdown in Abu Dhabi from the outside: “It hurts a lot seeing the others fight for the championship.”
On the eve of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which hosts the final and decisive battle for the title between Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc spoke honestly about his role as a simple spectator. A role that has followed him for several seasons now and one that, once again, weighs heavily.
The Monegasque driver did not hide his disappointment about a championship finale that sees him far from the title fight. In a comment filled with frustration, Charles Leclerc explained how difficult it is to watch the world championship battle unfold without being able to take part in it.
“It hurts a lot to keep watching the others fight for the championship while I can only look on. But I drive for Ferrari and I am in F1,” Charles Leclerc said, underlining the frustration of another missed opportunity.
Leclerc once again a spectator of the final title showdown: the Ferrari driver’s feelings
The Ferrari driver’s remark adds important context about the team’s situation and the strategic choice made months ago. “The team decided to focus on next season and that’s fine, but it still hurts to see the others fighting for the championship,” Charles Leclerc added, highlighting how the decision to stop development on the SF-25 inevitably damaged Ferrari’s competitiveness at the end of 2025.
The 2025 season never saw Ferrari truly in the hunt for the championship. Early progress quickly stalled after the aerodynamic development halt decided in the spring, with all resources redirected toward the 2026 car. It was an investment for the future, but one that left Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton far from the fight for top positions in the final races.
The Monegasque, who has never hidden his ambition to battle for the title, once again finds himself watching the season’s decisive showdown from a distance. A showdown involving his direct rivals, making the current gap feel even more significant.
Ferrari is already working intensely on the new regulations, hoping to return to a competitive level. Charles Leclerc knows this and accepts it, but he does not hide the personal weight of the situation. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will close a complicated chapter of his season. A chapter marked by a clear feeling: the desire to finally return to fighting for what he wants most.
Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri will fight for everything in the last race. Charles Leclerc, instead, will only be able to watch. And his words confirm it: this is the heaviest burden. The hope is that 2026 can offer the Monegasque a different destiny — one that no longer forces him to watch others fight for what he has dreamed of his entire life.
“It hurts a lot,” he repeated quietly.
Those four words say everything about where Ferrari is today – and everything about the hunger that will drive Charles Leclerc into the new era.
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