Ferrari has once again had to confront questions over the power steering feel of its Formula 1 car after Charles Leclerc raised a “mysterious” problem following the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The Monegasque driver suffered a significant loss of performance late in the race, and further details now suggest that the SF-26’s steering assistance may have contributed to the drop-off.
The concern is particularly interesting because similar steering sensations had already emerged with the SF-25. Although Ferrari’s 2026 car was designed under a different technical regulation and features a completely redesigned front end, the latest feedback raises the possibility that Charles Leclerc is still encountering a characteristic that prevents him from feeling entirely comfortable when extracting the maximum from the car.
Ferrari power steering concern returns after Charles Leclerc’s Madrid slump
One possible explanation for the sharp decline in Charles Leclerc’s pace during the final Madrid stint, despite the Ferrari running on a fresh set of soft tyres, had already centred on his feeling with the power steering. After the race, Charles Leclerc explained that this year’s car is particularly “physical” to drive and requires considerable effort from the driver.
The subject is not completely new. Ferrari’s steering assistance uses an electro-hydraulically managed component, and the way that system transmits forces and feedback has emerged as an area of attention before. Charles Leclerc does not appear completely comfortable when the car feels physically heavy to drive, particularly when he is trying to operate at the limit.
Ferrari carried out various checks at Maranello, but no alarms or abnormalities were identified. The situation therefore appeared to be more closely related to the physical demands imposed on the driver than to an obvious technical failure. The SF-26’s rigid set-up also made the car more difficult over the kerbs, affecting driveability and increasing the effort required behind the wheel. That compromise was also evident in the analysis of Ferrari’s stiff SF-26 configuration at Madring.
However, further information now suggests there may be another element to consider.
What Charles Leclerc reportedly told Ferrari about the SF-26
According to AutoRacer.it, Charles Leclerc reportedly informed Ferrari that the power steering was one of the factors connected to his performance drop. In his public interviews, the Monegasque remained deliberately vague and did not explain the problem in detail.
The SF-26 was created for a different regulatory framework from the SF-25, and Ferrari redesigned the front of the car from the ground up. However, Rosario Giuliana highlighted one particular element that could help explain why Charles Leclerc continues to experience these sensations.
Rosario Giuliana wrote: “The common thread instead concerns the feeling and the ability of the power steering system to lighten the steering or transmit more sensations to the driver, in a compromise that has appeared rather delicate for around a year now.”
The issue can therefore involve more than simply how much physical force is needed to turn the wheel. The balance between assistance and feedback also determines how clearly the driver can interpret what the front tyres are doing, particularly when loads increase and the car approaches the limit.
Ferrari drivers already raised steering feel after the Fiorano shakedown
There is also background connected to the 15-kilometre shakedown Ferrari completed at Fiorano on 23 January. Given the extremely limited mileage available during that running, relatively few meaningful conclusions could be drawn. Nevertheless, the drivers reportedly identified the power steering feel as one of the areas that was not completely satisfactory.
It was not regarded as an alarming problem, but rather as something that still required refinement. Ferrari has continued developing the SF-26 across several interconnected technical areas, which can be followed through the site’s Ferrari technical analysis coverage.
The significance of that early feedback becomes clearer when considered alongside the history of the previous car. Power steering had already become an important subject during the SF-25 season, particularly from the perspective of Charles Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc experienced similar sensations with the SF-25
At Silverstone in 2025, Charles Leclerc referred to “very strange” behaviour from the SF-25 while ruling out balance or grip as the cause. The most significant difficulties appeared as speed increased and the driver tried to extract the maximum from the car in qualifying conditions.
One of the elements being monitored was the power steering. This was not considered a failure of the system itself. Instead, the focus was on the feedback being transmitted to the driver when the loads acting on the front axle increased.
Lewis Hamilton did not report the same problem during that particular session, although the seven-time world champion did point out that his second Q3 lap had been more difficult. The differing way in which the two Ferrari drivers experience and extract performance from the SF-26 has remained an important technical subject, including in the analysis of how Ferrari’s qualifying limitations affect Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton differently.
The steering question then resurfaced in Qatar, where Charles Leclerc clearly reported over the radio that he could “feel nothing” through the power steering. In that situation, the steering wheel felt too light, making the relationship between the driver’s steering input and the response of the front wheels more difficult to interpret and therefore less predictable.
Ferrari completely redesigned the SF-26 front end for 2026
Ferrari made major changes to the architecture at the front of the car for 2026. The steering assembly was positioned further back, while the suspension philosophy changed from pull-rod to push-rod. The packaging of the front-wing hydraulic actuator, together with the surrounding components, resulted in a complete redesign of the forward section of the chassis.
Despite those changes, complaints concerning steering feel have emerged again, even if their origins have not always been identical. Similar difficulties arose in Barcelona, where Charles Leclerc did not finish the race after losing power steering assistance. The Ferrari driver also lost other systems on the car, with the failure involving several hydraulic elements rather than the steering alone.
That distinction is important because a complete hydraulic failure is not the same as dissatisfaction with the level of steering assistance or the information transmitted through the wheel. In Madrid, Ferrari’s checks did not reveal an obvious technical alarm, while the discussion instead centred on how the system felt to the driver and how physically demanding the SF-26 became late in the race.
Why Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton want different steering solutions
There is therefore a reason why Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are requesting what have been described as “two different steering systems” this season. The two drivers do not necessarily require identical levels of assistance and feedback to feel confident at the wheel, and Ferrari must find a compromise that allows each of them to interpret the behaviour of the front end as naturally as possible.
The latest Madrid episode does not establish that the SF-26 suffers from exactly the same defect as the SF-25. Ferrari found no clear anomaly in its checks, while the 2026 front-end architecture is substantially different. What has returned, however, is a familiar question over steering feel and the delicate balance between assistance, physical effort and the information reaching Charles Leclerc when the loads on the front of the car increase.
For Ferrari, understanding that distinction will be important as the team continues refining the SF-26. Charles Leclerc’s late-race performance loss in Madrid may have brought an old technical theme back into focus, even though the precise cause and characteristics of the current problem are not necessarily identical to those experienced with the previous car.
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