Charles Leclerc has been Ferrari’s golden boy in System 1 for seven seasons now, however his eighth may show to be his greatest shot at F1’s final prize but. That’s if the Scuderia can come out the gate with a robust challenger in keeping with the sweeping overhaul that’s set to shake up the sequence in 2026.
And after a secret Barcelona ‘shakedown’ and 6 days of testing in Bahrain, the indicators look good for Leclerc and Ferrari. The workforce seems to have a robust platform on which to innovate, and there are murmurings that its all-new turbo-hybrid energy unit can be one to observe. With this in thoughts, our specialists share their opinions on Leclerc’s prospects in F1 2026.
Ronald Vording – Leclerc’s second solely to Verstappen in my rating
If there’s one driver on the grid who appears prepared for a title battle however has not but had the equipment to really compete for one, it’s Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque has crushed each Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in equal equipment, but a severe shot on the world title has nonetheless not materialised.
That, nonetheless, takes little away from Leclerc’s private growth, which is why I’ve ranked him second total behind Max Verstappen. There are not any doubts in any way about Leclerc’s outright tempo, which makes it tough for any team-mate to beat him in qualifying battles.
Leclerc has at all times possessed that pure velocity – particularly on avenue circuits – however in recent times he has mixed it with extra constant race tempo and a decreased error price. Whereas in 2022 – when Ferrari was aggressive – he nonetheless made some errors, he has appeared extra constant since then.
That side alone would make it fascinating if Ferrari does have a aggressive automobile this season, as solely then can it actually be assessed to what extent Leclerc has developed – significantly with the strain absolutely on. But when there’s one driver on the present grid who deserves a real shot in a title battle that goes all the way down to the wire, it’s Leclerc – particularly after the progress he has made.
Stuart Codling – Ferrari’s growth tempo is the principle doubt
Charles Leclerc on a qualifying lap stays some of the electrifying sights in grand prix racing. Few different drivers can resolve a twitchy automobile with as a lot panache and gusto. And whereas he was initially very unfavourable concerning the new vitality administration formulation for 2026, since stepping into the automobile for actual he’s proven an actual enthusiasm for assembly the challenges.
Ferrari appears to be within the main group post-testing, and has proven loads of progressive spirit with the SF-26. However its decision-making when it comes to growth has, up to now, been considerably questionable – within the phrases of 1 veteran paddock wit, “Ferrari often finds some approach to cock it up…”
If Ferrari can get it proper this time, Leclerc has an actual probability at grabbing the world title that’s eluded him up to now.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photograph by: Giuseppe Cacace – AFP – Getty Photos
Jake Boxall-Legge – 2026 could be Leclerc’s greatest alternative
The 1m31.992s lap that Leclerc reeled off within the last hour of F1’s Bahrain assessments did not inform us a lot, on condition that no one else actually put collectively the same effort on the C4 tyre, nevertheless it display that Leclerc’s received his head across the strategy of stringing collectively a flyer in these 2026 vehicles. Regardless of going through equal components jubilation and disappointment in his F1 profession, Leclerc’s nailing of his colors to the Ferrari mast demonstrates that he would not simply wish to be a champion – however desires to be one with Maranello’s most interesting.
Since most count on Ferrari to be dicing with Mercedes on the entrance of the 2026 F1 area, this would possibly simply be his greatest alternative. The most effective qualifiers on the present F1 grid, Leclerc’s low conversion price of poles is extra of an indictment of his equipment, reasonably than his talent. If this 12 months’s SF-26 can hack it within the races too, he is received an amazing probability on the title.
How our score system works
To set the drivers aside, now we have taken inspiration from the official F1 recreation to attribute scores in 4 completely different classes, out of a most of 100.
Expertise (EXP): An goal rating merely primarily based on the motive force’s expertise degree via complete race begins
Racecraft (RAC): The driving force’s skill to race wheel to wheel, both to defend a place or pull off a decisive overtake, with out touchdown themselves in bother with the stewards
Consistency (CON): The driving force’s skill to maintain clear, keep away from unforced errors whereas being constantly fast in a race
Tempo (PAC): Displays a driver’s tempo over one lap, largely in relation to their team-mate
General Score (OVR): The 4 above classes shall be mixed into an total score, weighted in direction of Tempo.
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