Charles Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton have produced some of the most exciting wheel-to-wheel battles in 2026 so far. In both Australia and China, the Ferrari had a series of extended battles at the very front.
Moreover, it was Leclerc’s early engagements with George Russell in Melbourne that ignited optimism about what these regulations can offer.
At the same time, there are still many criticisms surrounding the 2026 cars – both from drivers and fans. Such discussions are normal during a new set of regulations, so the ongoing debate is not necessarily a surprise.
Still, the comments made by drivers are relevant to the ongoing dialogue. Amidst some of the more negative comments about these new cars, Leclerc has offered a different perspective.
Leclerc denies claims of ‘artificial’ overtakes
To some extent, the feelings drivers have towards these 2026 machines will be impacted by how competitive their cars are. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, perhaps unsurprisingly, have been very complimentary of these regulations.
Similarly, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton – whose form has rejuvenated after a difficult first campaign at the Scuderia – has described these cars as far more enjoyable compared to the ground-effect era.
Of course, there have been far less glowing reviews elsewhere. Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman have given some of the most blunt criticisms of the 2026 regulations.
At the heart of their complaints are the new power units, and more specifically the importance of electrical recharging via the batteries.
Many drivers were unhappy, especially after Australia, with how dramatically their cars lost speed in a straight-line after running out of energy.
However, since Australia is one of the most demanding circuits in terms of electrical deployment, this was perhaps an extreme example to draw conclusions from.
By extension, given these 2026 regulations are brand new, drivers and teams are still learning about the most effective ways to deploy energy. In this sense, there should be an evolution as the season develops.
This is something Charles Leclerc touched upon after the Chinese GP, where he spoke positively about these cars:
“I enjoy it, and it doesn’t feel so artificial from inside the car,” Motorsport quotes Leclerc as saying.
“Of course, you’ve got those overtakes where it’s artificial – whenever someone is doing a mistake with the battery and completely drains it and then, there’s a massive speed difference.
“But I feel like we are all converging a little bit, towards knowing where shouldn’t we go and where can we try and take the risk.
“So that creates very interesting overtaking places. I think today was the showing of that.”
2026 regulations still under scrutiny
There were some reports heading into last weekend’s race that the FIA were considering near-instant adjustments to the regulations.
Unsurprisingly, reducing the importance of the battery and increasing the impact of the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) was being floated as a potential remedy the FIA could implement.
However, the Federation opted against this. Instead, the teams will hold a discussion after the third round of the season in Japan to raise their concerns and potentially suggest adjustments.
Of course, any changes to the regulations would require agreement from teams across the grid. There are also other stakeholders that would be involved in this process, making regulatory changes difficult to accomplish.
There are several teams who, predominantly for performance reasons, will have little interest in touching the 2026 regulations.
Moreover, the demand from fans to change these cars could subside. Even after the first round in Australia, where energy deployment ran out quite dramatically and unexpectedly in qualifying, the race provided some optimism for these regulations.
Similarly, the battles throughout last weekend’s Chinese GP would have won over some sections of the fanbase and media.
In many ways, the split between fans in favour and against these new regulations could be comparable to the divided opinions over the 2022 regulations.
In any case, this political aspect of F1 – which drivers like Leclerc inevitably play a part in – will continue to evolve throughout the year.