Charles Leclerc raises major 2026 F1 concern: 'It's just strange'

Charles Leclerc has raised several major Formula 1 concerns surrounding next season's new power unit regulations, one issue he desribed as "just strange". 

The Monegasque revealed ahead of this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix that he has been working in the Ferrari simulator on next year's new car, with the team steadily increasing its focus on 2026. 

So far, it has not been an enjoyable experience for Leclerc driving the new F1 cars on the simulator, with him suspecting that the other drivers will not enjoy it either.

When asked by RacingNews365 for his early impressions on the 2026 cars, Leclerc answered: "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. 

"My hope relies in 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 more, 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. And at the end of the day, I think there's a challenge, and I will like the challenge of maximising a very different car to what it is at the moment. But do I enjoy it? Probably not."

Several fears have been discussed surrounding F1's new regulations, to the extent that Leclerc is currently struggling to imagine how the races will go.

Answering whether the lack of enjoyment driving next year's car in the simulator is due to the lack of downforce or the need to harvest energy, Leclerc revealed: "I think both, probably the second one a bit more than the first. 

"Yeah, it's just strange, I just don't imagine yet how racing will look like and how cool the overtaking will be next year with this new regulations. 

"So this is something that I know people and teams, and the FIA is aware, and there's probably some work to be done on that. I don't know how much it will change from now on, though."