Charles Leclerc says Formula 1’s all-new 2026 machinery has forced him to rethink what enjoyment behind the wheel really means.
Formula 1’s sweeping 2026 regulation changes have altered more than just the look of the cars, they have reshaped the way they are driven.
New chassis and power unit rules have placed a greater emphasis on energy management, lift-and-coast techniques, and system optimisation.
The result is a car that demands more calculation and less instinctive attack.
For Charles Leclerc, that shift has required a reset in mindset.
The Ferrari driver concedes that the driving experience itself is not as rewarding as in previous generations.
“It’s not the funniest car,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I mean, it’s not the most fun I’ve had driving a car, but it’s the way it is. And I find the fun in a different way.
“I think the challenge of really developing this whole new system is, in itself, something that I’ve enjoyed, and something that I find very interesting.
“In that, I kind of find some fun into just experiencing different things, and things that might have not worked in the past.
“But now that it’s all different, it’s cool to be able to think a bit outside the box, and to try and find other ways in trying to maximise the performance of the car. But the actual pleasure of driving the car is different.”
Rather than focusing on outright feel, Leclerc has taken satisfaction from the intellectual side of the task.
Lighter, sharper, more reactive
There are elements of the new package that suit Leclerc.
The reduced weight of the 2026 cars has made them more responsive, particularly in direction changes.
That characteristic aligns with Leclerc’s preference for a car that rotates freely on entry and allows him to lean on the rear axle.
“The weight, you can definitely feel it,” Leclerc pointed out.
“The car is a little bit more alive, and the balance, you can play with the car a lot more and you can have a very snappy rear.
“Last year, I remember, with the weight it was a little bit more difficult to manage that. I’ve always liked oversteery cars, but with these cars, I feel like you can go a bit more extreme with them.”
Even so, the added agility does not fully offset the increased emphasis on management behind the wheel.
More systems, less freedom, says Leclerc
Energy deployment now plays a central role in lap time. Drivers must constantly monitor harvesting and usage, balancing performance with efficiency. That has reduced the proportion of the lap spent in full attack.
“There’s a little bit less of attack, which is what I loved with previous F1 cars,” Leclerc acknowledged.
“As F1 drivers in general, you always have to adapt and to change your driving style. This year is more of a change than we’ve been used to in the past.
“The percentage of driving is a little bit less. Now it’s more about thinking about everything else that you’ve got to think of when you are in the car to maximise all the systems around you.
“So you’ve just got to think actively a lot more compared to in the past.
“We are all fighting to try and put the load more on the system rather than the driver.
“It’s different across the paddock for sure, and we’ve all had different approaches in… what I need as a driver and what I would prefer not to have my head on because it’s just too difficult to optimise as a human being, not having all the senses that the car might have.
“So it’s a balance, but it’s interesting because it’s a process we are definitely quite involved in.”
With the power unit’s Overtake Mode replacing DRS, any attempt to pass now carries a significant energy cost.
Asked about his findings in testing, Leclerc said:
“We’ve checked it and I kind of share what my colleagues have said.
“I find it, at the moment, extremely difficult to get any overtakes, but it might improve with time in how we manage this kind of situations – but it always comes with a price whenever you’ve got to overtake, and the price is a lot more costly than it was in the past.
“That’s why I think it’s very difficult to make an overtake and then pull away like it was the case last year. That’s tricky.”
Uncertainty at the start
The race starts present another unknown, as removal of the MGU-H from the new power units has altered how drivers prepare for lights out, and the correct operating window may be harder to achieve consistently.
“Yes, I expect some chaos,” Leclerc admitted.
“As we were just saying, overtaking is going to be a big challenge. I think there are still many question marks.
“Yes, we try to simulate as many situations as possible, but nothing will simulate just the unpredictability that you find yourself in when there’s a race start.
“You are not anymore in control of your line, of the way you drive, of your speed traces, because you are a bit in your enemy’s hands, but it’s the same for everybody.
“Again, there are lots of question marks, and I think the start is one of those as well.
“We are working a lot on that, just like everybody is, but it’s one of those very critical moments of a race, and there might be some surprising things in the first start of the season.”
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