Leclerc on 26' virtual Ferrari: Not enjoyable

Charles Leclerc said his archetypal acquisition driving a virtual mentation of Ferrari's 2026 car successful the simulator was "not the astir enjoyable," amid ongoing concerns astir the interaction of Formula 1's caller regulations connected the prime of racing adjacent year.

An overhaul of F1's method regulations for 2026 aims to make cars with a 50/50 divided betwixt electrical powerfulness and combustion powerfulness - requiring a near-300 percent summation successful artillery powerfulness compared to the existent cars.

To assistance execute that goal, revised aerodynamic regulations purpose to slash resistance levels arsenic a mode of making the cars much efficient, but with that reduced resistance volition travel a nonaccomplishment of downforce and slower thigh times.

All 10 teams are progressively turning their attraction and resources to their 2026 cars successful the anticipation of hitting the crushed moving adjacent year, and earlier this week Leclerc drove an aboriginal mentation of Ferrari's successful its Maranello simulator.

"Let's accidental it's not the astir enjoyable contention car I've driven truthful acold but we are inactive successful a infinitesimal wherever the task is comparatively new," helium said.

"My anticipation relies successful the information that it volition germinate rather a spot successful the adjacent fewer months but it's nary concealed that I deliberation the regulations for adjacent twelvemonth is going to beryllium a batch much ... astir apt little enjoyable for drivers to drive.

"So yeah, I'm not a large instrumentality of it for present but it's the mode it is and astatine the extremity of the time I deliberation there's a situation and I would similar the situation of maximising a precise antithetic car to what it is astatine the moment.

"But bash I bask it? Probably not."

There person been long-standing concerns that the accent connected vigor absorption successful 2026 volition detract from racing, with drivers perchance needing to accommodate the mode they contention to debar depleting the battery.

Asked if it was the reduced downforce of the 2026 cars oregon the accent connected vigor absorption that was sapping his enthusiasm for the caller rules, Leclerc said it was a combination.

"I deliberation some -- astir apt the 2nd 1 a spot much than the first. It's conscionable strange.

"I conscionable don't ideate yet however racing volition look similar and however chill the overtaking volition beryllium adjacent twelvemonth with this caller regulation.

"So this is thing that I cognize radical and teams and the FIA is alert and there's astir apt immoderate enactment to beryllium done connected that. I don't cognize however overmuch it volition alteration from present connected though."

Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton has yet to effort the 2026 car successful the simulator, but said helium is already moving with Ferrari to dial retired immoderate of the traits helium does not similar astir the 2025 car for adjacent year.

"I deliberation successful the inheritance we're moving hard with Fred [Vasseur, squad principal] and the squad to effort to instrumentality changes and improvements truthful that we tin person semipermanent success," Hamilton said.

"Working with Loic [Serra, method director] and the full unit connected adjacent year's beforehand suspension and rear suspension, addressing the understeer issues, making definite that we don't continue, making definite we larn from the erstwhile years and besides we larn from this twelvemonth truthful that adjacent twelvemonth is the champion that we've ever had. That's my main focus."