Despite a lightning start in Australia, Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari’s advantage in this exercise might not last the whole season. The Monegasque driver is already expecting a quick reaction from the competition.
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The first Grand Prix of the season offered an impressive demonstration from Charles Leclerc. During the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver made a rocket start that allowed him to move from fourth to first place even before the first corner.
A spectacular getaway that isn’t entirely a surprise in the paddock. Since winter testing, the Italian car had distinguished itself by its ability to launch very effectively from the grid.
This strength seems linked to the management of the hybrid system and to the ability of Ferrari to quickly place its power unit in its ideal operating window. However, despite this obvious success, Leclerc remains cautious about the duration of this advantage.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think we are going to keep this advantage,” he admits.
A technical advantage that could quickly disappear
According to Leclerc, the difference observed during the first starts of the season could simply be linked to the adaptation time of other teams to the new generation of engines.
“When all the engines are working in their optimal window, I don’t think there will be a big difference between the cars at the start.”
Ferrari currently seems to have a better handle on this technical parameter than its rivals. The Monegasque driver explains that the Scuderia manages to reach this famous ideal performance zone more easily than the others.
“We have an advantage in terms of the robustness of our system and we reach this optimal window a bit more easily than the others, especially compared to Mercedes.”
But Leclerc remains convinced that this gap will not last very long: “Once Mercedes knows exactly how to place itself in this optimal window, I don’t think there will be much difference left between the cars.”
Chaotic starts expected at the beginning of the season
The Melbourne weekend was also marked by several delicate situations at the moment the lights went out. In the pack, an incident almost occurred when Liam Lawson remained almost stationary on the grid, forcing Franco Colapinto to narrowly avoid him.
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For Leclerc, this type of situation is not really surprising in this context of new technical regulations.
“As expected, this first race of the season was very lively. A lot of things happened.”
The Ferrari driver points out that the Australian circuit is particularly demanding on energy management, which further complicates the starts.
Particularly difficult starting conditions
Leclerc also points to another factor that made the start even more unpredictable: the speed of the lights-out procedure.
“I think it’s the fastest lights-out that I’ve experienced in Formula 1.”
This combination of delicate energy management and a very fast start accentuated the differences between the cars. The Monegasque driver therefore prefers to wait several races before drawing definitive conclusions about the real hierarchy.
“Before making a big decision, we must wait a few races in more normal conditions for the rest of the season.”
A weekend in China to clarify the situation
The second round of the championship, the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix held on the Shanghai circuit, should offer a more representative environment. Leclerc expects that the teams will already understand the subtleties of the new power units much better.
“I think that from this weekend we will be in a much healthier situation for everyone.”
If Ferrari currently has a small lead at the start, the Scuderia knows that this advantage could be short-lived in a season that promises to be particularly competitive.
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