The 2026 Formula 1 season is offering a fresh start for the entire grid because of the whole new ruleset that is being introduced with changes to both the power unit and chassis.
An F1 car is set to become lighter and smaller, while there will be more emphasis on electrical power with a near-50:50 split alongside the internal combustion engine.
It is therefore not yet known what the pecking order will be because almost nothing is being carried over from the current generation, but Charles Leclerc certainly knows what he would like his Ferrari team to improve upon.
That is its car’s ability to perform in wet conditions after this weekend’s qualifying at the Las Vegas Grand Prix presented more struggles for Ferrari in tricky weather, as Leclerc only mustered ninth with Lewis Hamilton dead last.
“That’s what we need to look at because I feel like with the previous generations of cars, it was very, very similar. So, we’ve just been struggling and been poor on the wet since I joined the team,” said Leclerc, who has driven for Ferrari since 2019.
It’s quite remarkable really, because only 24 hours earlier the Ferrari pair were upbeat about their chances this weekend following a strong Thursday practice as Leclerc topped FP1 and finished third in the second outing.
But rain arrived in time for qualifying and various drivers talked about how the low-grip conditions in the cold Vegas night was the worst they had ever faced. It is in these conditions that a team must be at its best operationally, yet Ferrari wasn’t as Hamilton failed to cross the line in time at the end of Q1, meaning he couldn’t set a proper lap amid track evolution.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photo by: Chris Graythen / Getty Images
Leclerc’s side of the garage was better operationally, so his poor result was simply down to pure pace, having also been at least a second off in Q1 and Q2. That is very unlike the Monegasque, who is widely regarded as F1’s best qualifier thanks to his 27 career poles, so the wet struggles can be put down to the car.
“We don’t quite find the solution,” said Leclerc. “It’s not [for want of] trying, because we’ve been trying like crazy, but it just doesn’t work.
“It’s very, very frustrating, because it’s been probably my biggest strength in the junior categories coming up, and we are just struggling like crazy whenever it’s wet. The tyres don’t switch on, and we just have very, very poor grip.”
This isn’t the first time Leclerc has struggled in a wet qualifying session this year either, because Baku Q3 saw him fail to set a time after hitting the wall at Turn 14. So the 28-year-old and his team are unsure of the steps to overcome it, because Leclerc claimed it is more complicated than just trying different techniques to warm up the Pirelli tyres.
“It’s clear that we’ve got to do steps forward in those conditions,” he said. “It’s extremely difficult to drive for us. On my side, I can only say that it’s unbelievably difficult to drive. I know exactly what I need to go faster, however it’s very difficult to achieve that.”
So the moment rain fell in Vegas, Leclerc knew he was on for a “very difficult qualifying”, which only adds to a miserable 2025 for Ferrari, as it’s on course for its first winless year since 2021. “What I want to do is to be fighting for wins, so surely it’s not a car I will miss,” concluded the eight-time grand prix victory of the SF-25.
Photos from Las Vegas GP – Practice & Qualifying
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