Leclerc refuses to surrender title hopes
"Of course, the title race is open"
Charles Leclerc insists Ferrari remains firmly in the 2026 title fight despite Mercedes’ dominant start to the season.
The Monegasque heads to Monaco under pressure after Lewis Hamilton outperformed him throughout the Canadian GP weekend, but Ferrari is still being tipped by some as the favourite for Monte Carlo.
Former Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko believes the unique demands of Monaco could finally halt Mercedes’ winning run.
"Mercedes is clearly the strongest team," he told Osterreich newspaper.
"They have the best engine and are also setting the standard with the battery. For the first time since 2021, they’ve managed to build a competitive chassis again, and they also have a strong driver pairing."
Marko said Mercedes’ biggest threat may come from within.
"I find it very refreshing how young Antonelli is making the car fly," he said. "But Russell is the veteran - he’ll fight back.
"Their tearing each other apart is the only hope. Otherwise, Mercedes is far ahead."
When asked specifically about Monaco, however, Marko pointed elsewhere.
"They’ll struggle with the slow corners," he said.
"I see Leclerc ahead there - he’s at home on those corners and my favourite in qualifying. And whoever’s in front in Monaco will win the race."
Leclerc is also refusing to write off Ferrari’s championship chances, despite Mercedes winning every race so far this season.
"Of course, the title race is open," the Monegasque told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"This season could still go a variety of ways, and the championship race remains open. We must continue to work hard and maintain our enthusiasm, especially within the team."
Leclerc pointed to Formula 1’s all-new regulations as a reason for optimism.
"Can we beat Mercedes? Yes, of course," he said.
"In a season like the one we’re experiencing now, with the new technical regulations, teams can progress very quickly as they develop their cars.
"We learned a lot about our car in the early stages, and then we did a lot of work on important updates in Maranello. Last year showed us how quickly the balance of power can change."
There are already reports that Ferrari is still pushing aggressively with both aerodynamic and power unit development as it tries to close the gap to Mercedes.
Leclerc says the mood inside Maranello reflects that urgency.
"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team push itself so hard," he said.
"We have a very aggressive mindset right now, which I really like, and it shows in everything - in production, in innovation, in the risks we’ve taken."
At the same time, he believes Ferrari is now operating with a calmer and more mature approach than in previous years.
"There’s another difference I sense," said Leclerc. "Calm."
"We want to achieve results, but we also maintain a level head in managing all processes, which we lacked a few seasons ago."
Leclerc reiterates Ferrari title desire as he extends contract
Scuderia Ferrari HP announces the renewal of its agreement with Charles Leclerc, who will continue to wear the team’s colours for the coming seasons of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Growing together. The bond between Charles and Ferrari began long before his Formula 1 debut. Having joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016, the Scuderia has always been at the heart of the Monegasque driver’s career, from winning the Formula 2 title in 2017 to making his Formula 1 debut the following year, before joining Scuderia Ferrari in 2019. Since then, Charles has become a central figure within the team, noted for his speed, talent and competitive spirit. Over the years he has given Ferrari fans memorable victories, pole positions and podium finishes, becoming an ever more important part of the Scuderia’s history. At just 28 years old, he is already Ferrari’s second-most capped Formula 1 driver and also ranks second for pole positions, behind only Michael Schumacher. Apart from the results, Charles has built a special relationship with the team and with the tifosi around the world, sharing the Scuderia’s ambitions, as well as a sense of belonging and a constant desire to improve.
Charles Leclerc: "I couldn’t be happier to continue this journey with Scuderia Ferrari HP. It has always been so much more than just a team to me. It’s the team I’ve loved and dreamt of being part of since I was a child, and after all these years it has become a second family. Together we’ve shared incredible moments and some tougher ones, but I believe in this team more than ever, and I’m deeply grateful that we will keep pushing side by side toward our shared goal of bringing the World Championship back to Maranello. Being a Ferrari driver is a dream, but it’s also a responsibility I never take for granted. I’ll continue to give absolutely everything I have to bring this team back to where it belongs, at the very top, for everyone in Maranello, and above all for the tifosi, whose passion is the heartbeat of this Scuderia."
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal: "Charles has been part of the Ferrari family for many years now and this renewal feels like something very natural for us. Over these seasons we have seen him grow, to become not only one of the strongest drivers in Formula 1, but also a person who is completely at one with the team and everything Ferrari represents. We appreciate his talent, we love his determination and the way he approaches every day with the people in the Scuderia, both on and off the track. We know how much this project means to him and we are happy to continue working towards our shared goals."