Charles Leclerc issues Ferrari demand over F1 upgrade direction

Charles Leclerc has called on Ferrari to bring forward its planned upgrades as quickly as possible, with the Italian outfit enduring a difficult 2026 campaign.

Ferrari sits a distant second in the constructors' standings on 378 points, some 160 adrift of a dominant Mercedes outfit after 15 rounds. 

The Maranello team has managed just two wins all season, a thin return compared to the Brackley-based squad's 11.

Leclerc finished fourth in Azerbaijan last time out, with Lewis Hamilton sixth, as Ferrari again struggled to live with the pace at the front. 

The drivers have repeatedly voiced their inability to keep up with rival teams in a straight-line, forcing the team to trim downforce just to stay competitive on the straights.

Despite the struggles, Leclerc insists new parts remain on the way for the SF-26, even if he is managing expectations over what they can deliver.

"We've got a few things coming," Leclerc said.

"Whether these are going to be fundamental changes that will revolutionise our performance and pace, I don't think they will be.

"But surely small steps in the right direction, which is what we need.

"That's what McLaren has done, that's what Red Bull has done recently as well."

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Leclerc wants early introduction of Ferrari upgrades

Mercedes arrived in Sepang for the Bahrain Grand Prix with a sizeable upgrade package of its own, including reprofiled floorboards, modified leading-edge vanes, updated floor corners and a revised floor body with an altered diffuser roof. 

Against that backdrop, Leclerc believes Ferrari would be better served getting its own remaining upgrades onto the car sooner rather than later, rather than waiting for a perfect rollout further down the line.

"It will be interesting to look at that too," Leclerc said.

"But for us, whatever we can do to try and bring as early as possible those upgrades that are planned for the next few races, the better it will be."