Leclerc says 2026 rules are punishing his driving instincts

Charles Leclerc believes Formula 1’s 2026 engine rules are punishing his greatest strength: his instincts behind the wheel. Widely regarded as one of the modern era’s fastest natural qualifiers, he says the new demands make it harder to push the car in his usual way during qualifying. Ferrari is second in the constructors’ championship, more than 150 points behind Mercedes, and is searching for answers.

The difficulty arises when he tries to throw the SF-26 aggressively into a corner to find a few tenths: its electronic management then fails to deliver the appropriate power. Leclerc says the system has to interpret an unfamiliar situation using a baseline that does not account for it, disrupting its response and costing time.

“I’ve certainly had more struggles with these cars than I would have wanted so far,” he told the media in the Marina Bay paddock. He describes driving by feel, particularly in Q3, and challenging the car in ways he had not before. He added that this can confuse the system and lose time.

During pivotal Q3 sessions in earlier Formula 1 eras, Charles Leclerc earned recognition for getting more from cars than their mechanical capabilities would suggest. He is not blaming Ferrari’s engineering team or the FIA regulations for the lost lap time. Instead, he accepts responsibility and says there are still aspects of his own performance he can optimise.

Ferrari has won only two grands prix across the first 15 rounds of the 2026 campaign, increasing the pressure on both Leclerc and his teammate Lewis Hamilton to get to grips with the SF-26. Until drivers can align their natural styles with the energy-management software, Mercedes will continue to dominate both championships, the assessment holds.