Charles Leclerc intrigued by 'extreme' feature of new F1 cars

Charles Leclerc has explained his intrigue behind exploring the new "extreme" possibilities of the 2026 F1 cars and his own driving style.

Whereas the 2025-spec cars were prone to understeer, the new machines are considerably lighter with 30kg removed from the narrower, shorter chassis, with the lighter cars nimbler in response to the driver's demands.

This creates oversteer, where the rear of the car steps out on a driver, with Leclerc believing that the "more alive" 2026 cars offer drivers "extreme" possibilities to experiment with their driving style to extract lap-time. 

"As drivers in general, you always have to adapt and change your driving style," Leclerc told media, including RacingNews365.

"This year is more of a change than we've been used to in the past, and more than anything, it is more the amount of work there is when you're inside the car; the percentage of driving is actually less.

"Now it is more about thinking about everything else you've got to think of when you're in the car to maximise all the systems around you.

"So you've got to think actively a lot more compared to the past, but then driving-wise, it is something we're used to. 

"When you go from qualifying to race, just like last year, you'll change a lot of your driving style, so now, it is just a different way of driving.

"You can definitely feel [the reduction] in weight, the car is a bit more alive, and the balance you can play with a lot more and have a very snappy rear end.

"Last year with the weight, it was a bit more difficult to manage, and I've always liked oversteering cas, but with these cars, I feel like you can go more extreme with it."