Charles Leclerc is heading into the 2026 Austrian GP determined to have a “clean weekend” after a string of reliability issues disrupted recent outings for the Ferrari driver.
Ferrari showed encouraging race pace in the heat during the previous round in Barcelona, and Leclerc admitted he hopes that strength will carry over into Austria, where temperatures are forecast to climb above 30°C throughout the weekend.
Speaking to media on Thursday, Leclerc stated he expects Mercedes to remain the benchmark at the 2026 Austrian GP despite Ferrari’s recent progress.
“I don’t know, I think as in overall competitiveness, I still believe Mercedes will be the fastest car,” Leclerc said.
“But then with the heat, we were pretty good on tyres actually during the race.
“I hope we can keep that strength going into this weekend. However, there are longer straights, so the power unit of Mercedes is better at the moment. So I expect to pay the price a bit more. I think Mercedes remains the target.”
Leclerc looking for clean Ferrari weekend
The Ferrari driver also addressed the technical failure that ended his race at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP. He remained tight-lipped about the exact cause, but said he does not expect it to become a longer-term concern.
“I can’t go too much into the details of it, but it was quite sudden,” Leclerc explained.
“I don’t think it’s a worry going forward, but it’s not super nice the last two weekends. I’ve been quite tough on that, so I’m just looking forward to have a clean weekend, to be back where we should be.
“And it hurts particularly on weekends where we’ve been very strong as a team. So hopefully we can put everything together this weekend in Austria.”
Leclerc admitted that the recent technical problems on his side prevented him from capitalising on what he believes to be promising underlying pace.
“Again, I think the last few races haven’t been nice,” he said.
“When I look at it in an objective way, Monaco and Spain have been a lot worse than what it should have been on paper. Obviously we’ve had two technical issues, two races in a row, and that cost us a lot of points.
“But it’s also true that I haven’t been as comfortable in the car as I was earlier this season. But in Barcelona I found that feeling again, so that is a positive. In Monaco and Canada it has been more difficult for the issues.
“I’m not too stressed about the pace in itself. I just want to put a weekend together now with the team and be back to where we should be. Because it’s been too long since there’s been one thing or another that impeded us doing what we had to do on Sunday.”
Confidence in Ferrari “package” despite recent setbacks
Leclerc dismissed the idea that Lewis Hamilton’s feedback shaping Ferrari’s development direction for 2026 contributed to any disconnect he felt with the car this season.
“I honestly don’t think that this is the case,” he said.
“It’s not that I don’t feel comfortable with this year’s car. It’s just that in Montreal especially, particularly in Monaco, we’ve had some issues that have been very, very tricky.
“And there I’ve lost a bit of confidence with the car, but not with the package in itself. Last year I had a very strong season and we were working as a team on this project. It’s not like we go one way or the other.”
Leclerc continued: “And as I’ve said in the past, these cars are very, very different.
“But nowadays we’ve got a lot of freedom with the setup to make sure that the car fits your driving. So it’s not that I feel limited in any kind of way with that.
“I don’t think that this is going to be an issue that is going to keep going. I hope not at least, but I felt a lot better in Barcelona. We think that we have changed.
“And I don’t think it’s part of any of this. I don’t feel any less confident with this car than last year’s car. It’s just that there’s been these two, three races where there’s been a lack of confidence in Canada and Monaco.
“On top of that we’ve got technical issues on the Sunday in Monaco and in Spain. And that means that there have been lots of points lost in three weekends. It’s not a nice feeling, but I’m looking forward to this weekend, and trying to put all of this behind.”
Can Leclerc end win drought at the 2026 Austrian GP?
Hamilton’s maiden Ferrari victory in Barcelona sparked hope that the team is capable of securing more than just podium finishes this season. Leclerc—who hasn’t won a race since the United States GP back in 2024—has historically performed well at the Austrian GP.
Asked whether he might end this drought at the Red Bull Ring this weekend, Leclerc remained cautiously optimistic.
“I’ve always enjoyed Austria,” he commented. “It’s a strange one because normally I always know I like a track.
“But I just like the rhythm of this track. It just flowed nicely for me in the past and I hope it will this year too.
“The fact that we haven’t won since a long time is not something that adds particular pressure whatsoever. Of course seeing Lewis’ win in Barcelona makes me want to taste victory again.
“But for the last few years we didn’t have a car to do that. Now it feels like we are on track, getting back into a rhythm where we can achieve those race wins. And it’s my job to be fighting at the front just like Lewis did in Barcelona.
“It’s a track that I enjoy and I hope that the opportunity can arise again this weekend. But as I said, I feel like Mercedes might be a bit stronger compared to us tomorrow.”
