Ferrari left Barcelona with mixed emotions. On one hand, there was Lewis Hamilton’s historic victory, a result that strengthened the Scuderia’s position in the championship battle. On the other, there was Charles Leclerc’s costly retirement, which marked the Monegasque driver’s second DNF of the season after the disappointment in Monaco.
The timing could hardly be worse for Charles Leclerc. While Lewis Hamilton is enjoying his strongest period of form since joining Ferrari, both in terms of performance and leadership within the team, Charles Leclerc is struggling through a difficult phase. This comes at a moment when Ferrari itself is making significant progress thanks to a major package of technical upgrades introduced in Spain, developments that have generated optimism within Maranello and concern among rival teams.
In fact, ahead of the Barcelona weekend, Toto Wolff had already suggested that the fight for victory would come down to Mercedes and Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc falls behind
While the seven-time world champion celebrated a memorable victory and added another chapter to Ferrari’s history books, Charles Leclerc endured a weekend he will want to forget. Overall, Ferrari left Spain encouraged by its improved competitiveness and stronger championship position, but also aware of the importance of fully understanding what caused the retirement of car number 16.
According to sources close to Ferrari, and information confirmed by the Maranello team, the problem was caused by a “general hydraulic failure” that affected the SF-26. The issue subsequently impacted the power steering system, which had been replaced following Charles Leclerc’s qualifying crash on Saturday, as confirmed by the FIA.
The failure ultimately left the Ferrari driver unable to properly control the car, forcing him to retire from the race.
Monaco: a new theory emerges
While Ferrari appears confident about the cause of the Barcelona retirement, the situation surrounding Charles Leclerc’s Monaco DNF is less clear.
In Monte Carlo, the Monegasque driver crashed into the barriers at Anthony Noghès shortly after the restart following the first Safety Car period. Immediately after the incident, Charles Leclerc pointed to a brake problem as the cause of the accident and used strong words when discussing the braking system on his Ferrari.
However, the reality may be more complicated. According to reports from Motorsport.com, the Monaco retirement could share similarities with the issue that struck in Spain.
“During the debrief in Catalunya, efforts were made to understand the cause of the electronic problem that knocked out Charles Leclerc’s hydraulic system. The Monegasque driver found himself without power steering, brake-by-wire and active aerodynamics. The engineers are trying to determine the root cause, suggesting that the incident in Monte Carlo may have had similarities with the problem experienced in Spain.”
If confirmed, the discovery would provide Ferrari with an important clue in understanding two of Charles Leclerc’s most costly setbacks of the 2026 Formula 1 season and could help prevent similar failures in the future.
Leave a Reply