Charles Leclerc‘s worrying 2026 F1 verdict: ‘Not the most enjoyable car I’ve driven’

Charles Leclerc has delivered a worrying assessment of F1’s rules in 2026 after driving Ferrari’s new car on the simulator for the first time.

2026 will dramatically overhaul the sport’s technical regulations with entirely new chassis and engine rules.

The main change on the power unit side is a divide between electrical and internal combustion power.

This means energy conservation will be a bigger factor, potentially requiring drivers to lift on the straights.

Overall downforce levels are expected to be lower, too, reducing the grip of the cars.

Leclerc, who’s driven an early build of the 2026 Ferrari F1 car on the team’s simulator in Maranello, didn’t react positively to his first test.

“Let’s say it’s not the most enjoyable race car I’ve driven so far, but we are still in a moment where the project is relatively new,” Leclerc told media, including Crash.net, in Austria.

“My hope relies on the fact that it will evolve quite a bit in the next few months, but I think it’s no secret that I think the regulations for next year are going to be a lot, probably, less enjoyable for drivers to drive.

“So yeah, I’m not a big fan of it for now. But it’s the way it is.

“At the end of the day I think there’s a challenge, and I would like the challenge of maximising a very different car to what it is at the moment. But do I enjoy it? Probably not.”

Leclerc conceded that the power-saving aspect of the new regulations is more concerning and how it will impact the overall show for fans.

“I think both [less downforce and power saving’. Probably the second one a bit more than the first,” Leclerc explained.

“It’s just strange to… I just don’t imagine yet how racing will look like, and how cool the overtaking will be next year with this new regulation.

“This is something that I know people, teams, and the FIA are aware of, and there’s probably some work to be done on that. I don’t know how much it will change from now on, though.”

Hamilton waiting for his chance

Unlike Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton is still waiting to test Ferrari’s 2026 car.

The seven-time world champion has raced in F1 since 2007, driving various cars under different rule sets.

Hamilton admitted that the car model isn’t quite finished, so he hasn’t been in the simulator to test it yet.

“He only just started out, like two days ago or even yesterday, so I haven’t started that yet,” Hamilton said.

“The main reason is the model is not finished but probably sometime soon I will be able to.”