Charles Leclerc’s difficult 2026 Formula 1 season has come under renewed scrutiny after his heavy Monza accident, with Pino Allievi and Giorgio Terruzzi pointing to problems that extend beyond a single mistake or even the performance of Ferrari’s SF-26. Their assessment centres on two major changes around the Monegasque: a generation of regulations that appears poorly suited to some of his greatest strengths and a very different internal situation at Maranello since Lewis Hamilton became his team-mate.
The contrast with only two years ago is particularly stark. Monaco and Monza, two races carrying enormous personal significance for Leclerc, were among his greatest successes in 2024. In 2026, both ended with crashes, first against the barriers in Monaco and then with another heavy impact at Monza. His Italian Grand Prix retirement has consequently intensified the debate over what is going wrong for a driver who spent much of his Ferrari career as the clear reference point within the team.
Charles Leclerc’s 2026 struggles go beyond the Ferrari SF-26
One explanation concerns the fundamental demands of the new Formula 1 regulations. Drivers now have to deal with superclipping, extensive energy management, lift-and-coast techniques and situations in which acceleration can be delayed in order to optimise battery deployment. Those demands can even influence qualifying laps, where Leclerc historically built much of his reputation by attacking at the absolute limit.
Pino Allievi argued on the latest edition of the Terruzzi Racconta podcast that the Monegasque remains extremely fast, but that his particular form of speed does not fit naturally with this version of Formula 1. In Allievi’s assessment, the Ferrari driver has yet to fully reconcile his approach with a regulatory framework that has substantially changed the demands placed on drivers.
That interpretation goes beyond Leclerc himself. Allievi pointed to the repeated position changes during the Italian Grand Prix as entertaining but argued that they did not represent what he considers traditional Formula 1 competition. In his view, the sport previously rewarded drivers for pushing through corners such as Lesmo 2 as quickly as possible, whereas the current emphasis on energy saving can force them to lift where they would once have remained committed.
Monza also exposed wider limitations in Ferrari’s package, particularly in the way the SF-26 used its available energy. Our analysis of Ferrari’s ADUO2 power and energy deployment examines why the Italian Grand Prix presented such a demanding test for the 2026 car.
Lewis Hamilton has changed Charles Leclerc’s position inside Ferrari
Leclerc’s challenge is not limited to adapting his driving. The internal balance at Ferrari has also changed significantly. Since arriving at Maranello in 2019, the Monegasque had generally established himself as the team’s leading reference and consistently performed strongly against his team-mates. That dynamic began to change with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton.
The presence of a seven-time world champion who appears more comfortable with the demands of the current regulations has created a very different competitive environment for Leclerc. Giorgio Terruzzi suggested that the Monegasque may be finding the battle with Hamilton more difficult than he originally expected.
It is a theme that has also emerged elsewhere in the aftermath of Monza. Juan Pablo Montoya has separately argued that Lewis Hamilton is increasing the pressure on Charles Leclerc, adding to the wider discussion over how Ferrari should manage two drivers whose internal contest has become increasingly significant.
Terruzzi also highlighted another source of pressure around Leclerc: the progress of a much younger driver, only in his second Formula 1 season, who is already involved in the fight for the world championship. In his assessment, seeing another young competitor reach that position while time continues to pass is something that weighs on the Ferrari driver.
Giorgio Terruzzi sees broader changes around Charles Leclerc
Terruzzi’s argument extended beyond what happens inside the cockpit. He suggested that Leclerc is increasingly conscious of time moving forward while several areas of his personal and professional life are also evolving. Terruzzi referred specifically to his wife, an expected child and business activities as examples of the changes taking place around him.
That interpretation forms part of a wider debate about Leclerc’s current trajectory rather than an explanation based solely on the SF-26. His Monza accident has already prompted Giorgio Terruzzi to identify broader pressures surrounding the Ferrari driver after an Italian Grand Prix in which several mistakes and setbacks came together.
The competitive picture inside Maranello has changed just as dramatically. Hamilton is no ordinary new team-mate, and Leclerc is no longer operating in the same environment that existed during earlier phases of his Ferrari career. The Briton’s experience, status and apparent adaptation to the 2026 regulations have introduced a new benchmark inside the same garage.
That does not remove the technical issues Ferrari faced at Monza. The SF-26 encountered clear performance limitations at a circuit dominated by straight-line speed and Power Unit efficiency, meaning Leclerc’s difficulties cannot be separated entirely from the machinery available to him. A broader look at what Monza revealed about Ferrari’s biggest SF-26 weakness shows why the car itself remains an important part of the 2026 picture.
Madrid gives Charles Leclerc an immediate chance to respond
There is little time for Leclerc to dwell on another painful Monza weekend. Ferrari’s focus now moves directly to Madrid and the new Madring circuit, where the Scuderia is expected to have opportunities to produce a stronger performance.
The Monegasque has already been cleared to compete for Ferrari in Madrid following further medical checks after his Monza accident, allowing him to concentrate fully on the next race weekend.
For Leclerc, the task extends beyond recovering from one crash. The criticism surrounding his season raises questions about how effectively he can adapt to Formula 1’s new technical demands, respond to Hamilton’s presence across the garage and rediscover the level that previously made him Ferrari’s undisputed reference. Madrid now offers the first opportunity to begin answering them on track.
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