Charles Leclerc has backtracked on his initial negative remarks about next year’s Formula 1 cars, which he made earlier in the summer after a simulation run.
The Monegasque was among the first drivers on the grid who publicly commented on the experience of an early sim session based on the car that will tackle next season.
Leclerc said at the time that he was “not a fan” of what he had experienced, which was a huge pivot from the driveability of the current cars.
2026 will see a radical new set of technical regulations that will see drivers be forced into adapting their driving styles, largely due to the change in aerodynamics and the energy conservation sparked by the new 50-50 hybrid power units.
When asked how he feels now he has had time to not only adapt, but also to iron out differences made since then, Leclerc promulgated his willingness to face to provocation the new cars will bring.
“I enjoy the challenge of thinking differently,” he told media including Motorsport Week ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
“So I think from what was a very strange first session on the sim, then from that moment it sparks a lot of questions in everybody’s mind at the factory and the process of really thinking as a group in what clever ways we can find in order to tackle some issues that we’ll have with next year’s car has been a very interesting process.
“And I think as a driver, it’s also been very interesting because it’s also a lot about our feeling as well, and what are the tools that we need to manage different kinds of situations.
“But just like the fighting will be quite critical as well with other cars during the race and all these kinds of things have been a very interesting thinking process.”
Leclerc still unsure how enjoyable the 2026 F1 cars will be
One of the biggest concerns of next year’s cars has been whether the authenticity of overtaking will be omnipresent, due to the necessity of using the new overtaking modes which will drain energy from the battery in the car.
This has called into question how a driver will be able to overcome this, rather than simply being overtaken again on the following straight, which will no doubt mitigate a natural thrill of racing for them.
Despite Leclerc seeming keen to face the challenge of the 2026 cars, he is still unsure that the enjoyment will be there straightaway, but is ready to find out once he jumps into the car.
“For the enjoyable part of driving in itself, I’ll have to wait and drive the real car before saying anything,” the Ferrari driver said.
“At the sim, it’s difficult to actually get those feelings. But for sure, there will be a lot more thinking when driving and especially during the race to manage that energy that we’ll have added next year.”
READ MORE – Oscar Piastri reveals McLaren ‘discussion’ about prioritising Lando Norris in F1 title battle
Discussion about this post