Charles Leclerc believes that the new F1 cars have become so complex that a driver can no longer always precisely identify the source of their difficulties.
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Charles Leclerc experienced a mixed first half of the season. Very comfortable behind the wheel of his Ferrari during the early races, the Monegasque then went through a much more difficult period before finding the path to victory again at Silverstone.
For the Ferrari driver, these performance variations perfectly illustrate one of the peculiarities of the cars introduced in 2026: their complexity makes it much more difficult to identify problems and, above all, to understand their consequences.
With the new power units and their many management parameters, changing driving style to correct a weakness can even have the opposite effect of what is intended.
“There are a lot of variables”
Leclerc had, however, started his season perfectly with podiums in Australia and Japan. But the situation then became complicated, especially in Monaco and then in Canada, where his braking difficulties led him to describe the Montreal event as one of the worst Grands Prix of his career.
Asked about the reasons for these variations, the Monegasque believes it is no longer as simple as before to consult the data to precisely identify what is not working.
“I think it depends on the power unit and how everything is set up, and that’s why it’s so difficult with these cars,” Leclerc explained to the media.
“There are so many variables. It’s no longer like before, when you could look at the data and say: ‘This is clearly where I am losing time and this is clearly what I need to change in my driving.'”
Changing driving style can worsen the problem
The difficulty comes notably from the interaction between the driver’s style and the programming of the various systems of the car.
A change that seems logical based on the data can thus disrupt the car’s functioning and ultimately cost even more performance.
“If you change your driving but the programming goes in the opposite direction, you can end up in a situation much worse than at the start,” emphasizes Leclerc.
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The Ferrari driver therefore believes it is essential to remain open to different approaches rather than looking for a single solution.
“I started the season feeling comfortable with the car and very competitive, but in Montreal and Monaco, I suffered a lot. Then the feelings came back after changing quite a few things.”
The Silverstone breakthrough
These changes eventually paid off. On the Friday evening of the British Grand Prix, Ferrari and Leclerc found a direction allowing the Monegasque to regain his feelings.
The result was immediate: Leclerc won at Silverstone, securing his first victory since 2024. He then confirmed this progress with a second place in Belgium.
But this evolution also allowed him to measure how deceptive the difficulties encountered with this generation of cars can be.
“I don’t think things are as simple with these cars,” he continues. “There are a lot of variables and understanding all the implications when you are slightly behind is more difficult than it seems.”
No universal driving style
Leclerc also rejects the idea that this generation of cars necessarily imposes a particularly aggressive driving style.
According to him, the characteristics can vary considerably from one car to another, to the point that a technique effective with one car can prove counterproductive with another.
“I don’t agree with the idea that being particularly aggressive works with these cars, at least not with ours,” he concludes. “But it can work with another car.”
For Leclerc, the key to performance in 2026 therefore lies as much in the driver’s adaptation as in their ability to understand the interaction between their driving, the settings, and the programming of the car. An equation that has become much more complex with the new generation of Formula 1.
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