Ferrari SF-26 technical glitches: Charles Leclerc frustrated by virtual mirror issues in Melbourne. Charles Leclerc reports problems with Ferrari’s SF-26 virtual mirror .

The 2026 Formula 1 season officially kicked off with the first two practice sessions at Melbourne, ahead of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. After two hours of track action, the much-feared Mercedes engines began showing their strength, particularly in FP2, where the Silver Arrows secured the top three positions with Oscar Piastri ahead of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. Ferrari, on the other hand, also showed competitive pace on a single lap, with Lewis Hamilton closing in on the Mercedes duo. Charles Leclerc struggled to put together a lap capable of challenging the top three, but still finished within the top five overall.

Extensive preparation and testing

At Albert Park, Ferrari confirmed what was seen during pre-season testing in Bahrain: the SF-26 is fundamentally strong and provided both seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with good feedback, both on single laps and in long runs on Hard tires. Charles Leclerc’s long-run pace during the afternoon session was decent but still below the level of the Mercedes cars. It is important to note that this is a provisional picture, as teams still have a lot of work ahead in preparation for qualifying and in understanding the new cars—particularly in managing hybrid energy, which remains a major unknown. Additionally, Ferrari had to deal with minor issues on Charles Leclerc’s car that appeared during both practice sessions.

Leclerc voices frustration

Despite a solid start to the weekend, not everything on the Ferrari SF-26 went smoothly. During FP1 and FP2, Charles Leclerc complained over the radio about a malfunctioning virtual mirror on his dashboard. This system is critical for providing real-time gap information with the car ahead, and its failure made it difficult for Leclerc to manage traffic efficiently, while also creating unnecessary radio chatter throughout the sessions.

Leclerc: “Come on, why isn’t my virtual mirror (on the dashboard) working? Damn it.”

Bozzi: “Charles, we’ll fix it.”

Looking ahead

While these issues were minor, they highlight the small yet significant challenges Ferrari still needs to resolve on the SF-26. Fixing the virtual mirror and optimizing energy management will be crucial for Charles Leclerc to fully exploit the car’s potential in qualifying and race conditions at the Australian Grand Prix.