At the dawn of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Charles Leclerc approaches the first meeting of the year with a mix of optimism and caution. The Ferrari driver believes that the team is well prepared, but thinks that Mercedes currently has an advantage.
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A few days before the first Grand Prix of the 2026 F1 season held at the Albert Park circuit, Charles Leclerc believes that Scuderia Ferrari has completed a solid preparation during winter testing. The Italian team has accumulated mileage, shown good reliability, and displayed encouraging performance.
But as is often the case during a new technical era, it remains difficult to precisely evaluate the hierarchy of the field. The data collected in testing does not always allow for a clear positioning of each team relative to its rivals.
“We had a few days of testing so we did a lot of tests, we know roughly what we have at our disposal, but we don’t know where we stand compared to the others. And that makes a big difference, because when you are three tenths behind, you try to look for something you can’t find” explains the Monegasque driver.
According to him, this uncertainty can paradoxically be beneficial for a team’s morale: “When you don’t know where you are, the feeling is always better than when you are three tenths behind. So there are things to understand, answers to find on the car, but the general feeling is positive after the tests.”
Leclerc is also delighted to launch the season in Australia, a place he particularly likes: “I really like Melbourne, it’s one of my favorite places of the season. The atmosphere here is always fantastic and the Grand Prix weekend is a truly enjoyable experience.”
Mercedes seen as the benchmark
Despite this measured optimism, Leclerc is lucid about the competition. In his eyes, Mercedes seems to have a lead over Ferrari heading into this first meeting of the year.
“I am quite neutral at the dawn of this season. I am confident in our preparation, but I am very aware that Mercedes is stronger than us. We must stay calm, it’s only the first race, I am impatient to see where we stand.”
The Monegasque also insists that the 2026 season will likely be marked by strong technical evolution throughout the year. The new rules offer a wide potential for development, which could change the hierarchy over the months.
“This year will be a development championship, it will make a bigger difference this year because the concept is totally new. We saw cars arrive with new evolutions between the two sessions in Bahrain, and it will be the same here.”
In this context, Leclerc prefers to avoid any premature projection on Ferrari’s title chances. “Driving for Ferrari is something very special, but it also comes with a lot of noise and sometimes expectations that don’t reflect reality. So I don’t really have any expectations for the moment.”
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Hamilton enthusiastic but equally cautious
This season also marks a new collaboration within Ferrari with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton alongside Leclerc. The seven-time world champion was particularly enthusiastic during the winter, but the Monegasque believes that this optimism remains measured.
“I don’t see Lewis in a different situation. I think he is simply very enthusiastic.”
According to Leclerc, the entire team has worked enormously behind the scenes to prepare for this new technical era: “He was very enthusiastic about joining the team last year and he is just as impatient as I am to see these new cars arrive. A considerable amount of work has been accomplished behind the scenes to be ready for this season.”
The new single-seaters could, however, hold some surprises, particularly in certain situations difficult to reproduce in testing.
“With this type of car, there are still quite a few unknowns, like restarts after a safety car intervention. These are things you can’t really reproduce and which could hold some surprises for us.”
A marriage that brings serenity
Before flying to Australia, Leclerc also experienced a significant moment in his personal life. The Ferrari driver recently married his partner Alexandra Saint Mleux, during an intimate ceremony organized in the presence of their families.
“It’s a moment I will remember all my life, and it’s the same for Alex and for our families. There were only our close ones, a sort of secret small ceremony that we really enjoyed.”
Leclerc recognizes that this event brought him positive energy before the start of the season: “It was an incredible day, and it gave me a lot of positivity because I did it just before coming here.”
With humor, he even mentioned the best possible wedding gift: “In six months, it will be the end of the season, so a title would obviously be a nice reward, but I’m not sure Lewis is ready to give it to me.”
In any case, Leclerc approaches this new season with serenity. His approach remains simple: move forward course after course and gradually discover Ferrari’s true potential in this new era of Formula 1.
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