Charles Leclerc says his ultimate goal remains winning the Formula One world championship with Scuderia Ferrari, although he insists it is still too early to judge the competitive order ahead of the new season.
Speaking in an interview with Autosprint, reported by Corriere dello Sport, the Ferrari driver reflected on his ambitions ahead of what will be his ninth season racing for the Italian team.
After a difficult 2025 campaign, the Monegasque driver is hoping for a stronger challenge for the championship this year.
“My ambition is to win the world championship with Ferrari,” Leclerc said. “It is something very strong inside me and it will remain until I can achieve it. But it is still too early to make predictions because we don’t yet know the real potential of our rivals.”
Leclerc believes several teams could be closely matched at the start of the season, highlighting Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team, McLaren F1 Team and Red Bull Racing as the main competitors.
“Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull all look very well prepared. They seem strong and quite close to each other, although perhaps Mercedes might have a slight advantage.”
Leclerc also stressed the importance of starting the new season with a fresh approach after last year’s struggles, pointing to encouraging signs from pre-season testing.
“We worked well during the tests,” he explained. “Everything ran smoothly, and we didn’t experience major problems. The things we needed to understand, we were able to verify, but we will only really see the true picture in Australia.”
The Ferrari driver suggested that the team’s race starts could prove to be a strength this season, something the team had considered early in the development process under the new regulations.
“It is something we took into account from the beginning when we started focusing on this new set of regulations. The start doesn’t seem to be a critical area for us.”
Leclerc also noted how drivers are adapting their driving styles to maximise energy recovery under the new rules.
“From what we’ve seen on track, there have been no surprises. Some drivers are using lower gears to recharge the battery more, but this was widely expected.”
Asked whether success this season will depend more on instinct or strategy, Leclerc believes mental sharpness will play an even bigger role.
“The foot will always be important, but the head will be even more important than before. The factors that make the difference ultimately remain the same.
