Charles Leclerc believes the characteristics of Zandvoort could give Ferrari and the SF-26 a better opportunity than the team has traditionally enjoyed at the Dutch Grand Prix. Speaking on Thursday ahead of the 2026 race weekend, the Monegasque explained why the technical circuit could play to some of Ferrari’s strengths, while admitting that possible rain remains a major unknown.
Ferrari arrives in the Netherlands with its third development package of the season as Formula 1 resumes after the summer break. Zandvoort could highlight some of the SF-26’s stronger characteristics, but a Sprint format, limited practice time and uncertain weather mean there will be little margin for error during an already demanding 2026 Dutch Grand Prix weekend.
Charles Leclerc believes Zandvoort could suit the Ferrari SF-26
The end of the summer break also marks the beginning of the second half of the 2026 season. Ferrari’s priority is to maximise every weekend as it attempts to reduce the points and performance deficit to Mercedes. Rather than focusing directly on either World Championship, the immediate objective is to extract everything possible race by race while continuing to develop the SF-26.
That development programme includes the ADUO2-related power-unit work planned for Monza, while aerodynamic changes are already arriving at Zandvoort.
Charles Leclerc is approaching the Dutch weekend with optimism despite Ferrari’s difficult historical record at the circuit.
“I mean, it’s true, historically it has never been a particularly favourable track for us. At the same time, these cars are so different that I think they can shuffle the order a little, or change things for the teams that used to feel more comfortable on this type of circuit.”
“At the same time, it is also quite a technical track, and usually technical circuits give us a little more advantage this year. So I remain optimistic, but we have to wait and see.”
Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari also understands why previous generations of its cars struggled at Zandvoort, giving him confidence that the same limitations will not necessarily return with the SF-26.
“I think in the past we had a good understanding of why we had difficulties with the previous generations of cars. I tend to think that this year we won’t have the same problems, and I hope I’m right.”
Why the Zandvoort layout could favour Ferrari
The SF-26 has so far shown some of its strongest qualities on circuits requiring high downforce and through medium-to-high-speed corners. On paper, those characteristics could place Ferrari in a slightly more favourable position at Zandvoort, although the competition from its rivals will remain significant.
The inherent characteristics of previous Ferrari cars did not consistently translate into strong results at the Dutch circuit. The 2026 machine presents a different technical platform, and Charles Leclerc believes there are legitimate reasons to approach this weekend more positively.
Ferrari is also bringing further aerodynamic development, with floor and rear-wing changes forming its third SF-26 upgrade package. The modifications to the floor are expected to help make the car faster as Maranello continues trying to unlock more of its potential.
There is confidence that Ferrari could collect a substantial number of points if it executes the weekend correctly, although the team first has to understand its latest components with very limited track time. Confidence around the new SF-26 package prepared for Zandvoort has grown, but the Sprint format places additional pressure on the opening practice session.
Charles Leclerc unsure whether rain would help Ferrari
The weather creates another important question. Charles Leclerc admits he cannot yet predict whether wet conditions would represent an advantage or disadvantage for Ferrari because experience with the 2026 generation of cars in the rain remains extremely limited.
“Well, to be honest, I don’t know. I have no idea. Because with these cars, the last time I drove in the wet was during the Barcelona tests, where I think it was only Max and me on track.”
“That was basically one of the first times I had driven this new generation of car. Since then there have been many upgrades. It’s a very different car. We have understood much more about the car since then.”
Charles Leclerc therefore expects a particularly tricky Dutch Grand Prix weekend, especially with the added difficulty of the Sprint format.
“But I expect a very tricky weekend because it is a very difficult circuit. It is a Sprint weekend. It is going to be quite challenging, but I’m looking forward to it.”
“We don’t know whether it will be an advantage or a disadvantage for us. We know we have a strong car in the corners, but in the wet it is a completely different story, so we’ll see.”
Ferrari still has questions to answer with wet-weather tyres
Wet conditions have traditionally presented Ferrari with additional difficulties. In recent seasons, the Maranello cars have struggled to reach their optimum performance window in the rain, leaving the drivers with a platform that could become inconsistent and difficult to predict.
With Loïc Serra bringing extensive expertise in tyres and vehicle dynamics, Ferrari should have made progress in this area, although there has not yet been enough representative wet running with the SF-26 to establish exactly how much has changed.
Charles Leclerc highlighted tyre preparation as one of the key issues Ferrari has faced for several seasons.
“As a team, we have struggled quite a lot with the intermediate tyres, but also with the full wet tyres. It wasn’t only in 2023. Since I joined the team, we’ve struggled to get those tyres into the right window.”
That makes any wet running at Zandvoort particularly valuable. With only limited laps likely to be available if rain arrives, Ferrari will need to extract useful information immediately and adapt the SF-26 as quickly as possible.
“We’ll have to make the most of the very few laps we do in the wet if it rains and make sure that we adapt.”
Ferrari needs to maximise a complicated Dutch GP weekend
The challenge therefore extends well beyond whether Zandvoort’s layout theoretically suits the SF-26. Ferrari must evaluate its latest aerodynamic developments, optimise a car that Charles Leclerc believes is naturally strong through corners and, if the weather changes, determine whether progress has been made in an area that has caused problems for several years.
The team has also revised elements of the car specifically for the Netherlands, including changes to the SF-26 rear-wing configuration for Zandvoort. With only one practice session before competitive running begins, every decision will carry additional importance.
Charles Leclerc’s optimism is therefore based on the characteristics of the 2026 Ferrari and the team’s improved understanding of its previous Zandvoort weaknesses, rather than any guarantee of performance. If the SF-26 responds as expected and Ferrari manages the possible rain effectively, the Dutch Grand Prix could provide an important opportunity at the start of the second half of the season.
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