Mar.15 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has admitted that the 2026 regulations have neutralised one of his greatest strengths, confessing he no longer enjoys qualifying after being outpaced by Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton in Shanghai on Saturday.
“In the past, one of my strengths was that I simply took very big risks in Q3 to try and get a little more out of it,” the Monegasque said.
“If you do that now – and I tried it yesterday – you mess up the engine side and lose much more than you gain.”
He says the new energy management-heavy formula demands a consistency that runs counter to his natural instincts. “It’s better to stay within the limits and always do the same thing, rather than getting to Q3 and trying something new,” Leclerc said.
“I’m a little disappointed because it was definitely one of my strengths. The truth is that I don’t really like qualifying anymore.”
He was also candid about his difficulties on a circuit that has long troubled him. “I’m really terrible at qualifying on this track,” he admitted.
“After so many years I have to accept this fact.”
The broader implication of what Leclerc is describing – that individual brilliance is now actively punished – is one that Max Verstappen has also alluded to.
Sky Deutschland’s Ralf Schumacher said the sport must act.
“The balance between driving skills at the limit and technology must be restored,” the former Williams driver insisted.
Leclerc, though, is not without hope, as high-level talks take place behind the scenes about short-term rule changes. FIA technical boss Nikolas Tombazis was quoted as saying the governing body has “aces up its sleeve”.
“There are some things we can change from now on that could improve things,” Leclerc said. “It’s not the end of the world.”