Charles Leclerc says he’s ‘discovering the enjoyable otherwise’ with Method 1’s 2026-spec equipment.
The world championship has launched new chassis and engine rules for the upcoming season, which has drastically modified the required driving type – as racers flip to lift-and-coast in addition to downshifting to be able to harvest and save vitality – and elevated the psychological workload behind the wheel.
F1’s new vehicles have acquired a combined reception at finest, with Max Verstappen branding them “anti-racing” and “a bit extra like Method E on steroids”. Leclerc can’t assist however admit it: “It’s not the funniest automobile.
“I imply, it is not probably the most enjoyable I’ve had driving a automobile, however it’s the way in which it’s. And I discover the enjoyable otherwise.
“I feel the problem of actually creating this entire new system is, in itself, one thing that I’ve loved, and one thing that I discover very attention-grabbing. In that, I form of discover some enjoyable into simply experiencing various things, and issues that may haven’t labored up to now.
“However now that it is all totally different, it is cool to have the ability to suppose a bit outdoors the field, and to attempt to discover different methods in making an attempt to maximise the efficiency of the automobile. However the precise pleasure of driving the automobile is totally different.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Picture by: Ferrari
Pleasure-wise, the Ferrari driver has praised the lighter, nimbler vehicles, which higher go well with his most popular “oversteery” driving type; the decreased weight is the side he has been having fun with probably the most.
“The load, you may positively really feel it,” Leclerc identified. “The automobile is a bit bit extra alive, and the steadiness, you may play with the automobile much more and you may have a really snappy rear. Final 12 months, I keep in mind, with the burden it was a bit bit harder to handle that. I’ve at all times preferred oversteery vehicles, however with these vehicles, I really feel like you may go a bit extra excessive with them.”
However this can be overshadowed by the substantial quantity of required vitality administration, which prompted the aforementioned feedback from Verstappen – and extra from different drivers.
“There’s a bit bit much less of assault, which is what I liked with earlier F1 vehicles,” Leclerc acknowledged.
“As F1 drivers basically, you at all times should adapt and to alter your driving type. This 12 months is extra of a change than we have been used to up to now. The proportion of driving is a bit bit much less. Now it is extra about excited about every thing else that you have to consider if you find yourself within the automobile to maximise all of the programs round you. So you’ve got simply acquired to suppose actively much more in comparison with up to now.
“We’re all combating to attempt to put the load extra on the system somewhat than the driving force. It is totally different throughout the paddock for positive, and we have all had totally different approaches in… what I want as a driver and what I would favor to not have my head on as a result of it is simply too troublesome to optimise as a human being, not having all of the senses that the automobile may need. So it is a steadiness, however it’s attention-grabbing as a result of it is a course of we’re positively fairly concerned in.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Picture by: Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
So far as overtaking is anxious, Leclerc has joined the general consensus that it could be trickier, as the facility unit’s Overtake Mode replaces DRS – however as Pierre Gasly identified, what was once “seven tenths without spending a dime” will now come at a price energy-wise.
Requested by Motorsport if he had an opportunity to search out out extra on overtaking throughout testing, Leclerc replied: “We have checked it and I form of share what my colleagues have stated. I discover it, for the time being, extraordinarily troublesome to get any overtakes, however it would possibly enhance with time in how we handle this sort of conditions – however it at all times comes with a worth each time you have to overtake, and the worth is much more expensive than it was up to now. That is why I feel it’s extremely troublesome to make an overtake after which draw back prefer it was the case final 12 months. That is difficult.”
All in all, Leclerc is overtly anticipating havoc to be wrought – particularly at the beginning of the race, because the removing of the MGU-H on the brand new energy items makes it trickier for drivers to search out the best operational window at lights out.
“Sure, I anticipate some chaos,” he admitted. “As we have been simply saying, overtaking goes to be a giant problem. I feel there are nonetheless many query marks. Sure, we attempt to simulate as many conditions as attainable, however nothing will simulate simply the unpredictability that you end up in when there is a race begin. You aren’t anymore accountable for your line, of the way in which you drive, of your pace traces, as a result of you’re a bit in your enemy’s palms, however it’s the identical for everyone.
“Once more, there are many query marks, and I feel the beginning is a type of as nicely. We’re working quite a bit on that, identical to everyone is, however it’s a type of very crucial moments of a race, and there could be some shocking issues within the first begin of the season.”
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