Charles Leclerc has opened up about what his expectations are for the 2026 Dutch GP, whether the rain would benefit Ferrari, his impression of their many upgrades so far, and how confident he is about his wet-weather driving skills this weekend.
After overcoming a multi-race slump that saw him struggle with brake issues and endure back-to-back retirements, the Monégasque has now arrived at Zandvoort off the back of a victory and a second-place finish in the last three rounds.
As F1 returns after a three-week summer break, Leclerc finds himself fourth in the Drivers’ standings. He is 81 and 31 points adrift of champion leader Kimi Antonelli and teammate Lewis Hamilton, respectively.
Meanwhile, Ferrari currently sit second in the Constructors’ Championship, nursing a gap of 72 points to Mercedes.
Leclerc comments on Ferrari’s prospects at the 2026 Dutch GP
Speaking in an F1 print media session on Thursday, Charles Leclerc shared his thoughts on how he expects Ferrari to perform during the 2026 Dutch GP weekend in light of the floor upgrade they are introducing.
Pointing out that Zandvoort has never been a particularly favourable venue for the Italian outfit, the 28-year-old appeared somewhat hopeful that the new regulations might shake up the anticipated pecking order this weekend. Additionally, he drew attention to how the SF-26 has tended to fare better at the more technical tracks so far this season.
Leclerc also claimed that Ferrari were already aware of why they had struggled to excel at the 4.259 km circuit during the ground effect era and that he reckons they won’t face similar troubles this year.
“I mean it’s true. Historically, it’s not been a particularly strong track for us.
“At the same time, these cars are so different that I think it can reshuffle a little bit the pecking order or the teams that had more ease on these kind of tracks. It’s also a track layout that is quite technical, and normally technical tracks are a bit more positive for us this year.
“So, I’m still optimistic, but we’ve got to wait and see.
“But I think we also had a good understanding on why we were struggling in the past here with the previous generations of cars. I tend to think that we won’t have those same issues this year, and I hope I’m right.”
Whether wet weather would give Ferrari an advantage
With respect to rain potentially impacting parts of the 2026 Dutch GP weekend and whether the weather would level the playing field a bit, Charles Leclerc responded, “Well, to be fair, I don’t know.”
Mentioning how he and Max Verstappen are the only drivers so far to get behind the wheel of the new cars on a wet track, the nine-time race winner said that the SF-26 has undergone significant changes since pre-season testing in Barcelona.
While he maintained that Ferrari’s understanding of their 2026 challenger has improved considerably since the start of the campaign, Leclerc surmised that the upcoming round will be pretty challenging on account of it being a Sprint weekend and the rain throwing an additional curveball.
Furthermore, the Monte Carlo native admitted that he is unsure whether the wet weather would give Ferrari the edge over the rest of the grid, despite the SF-26 being very efficient in the corners.
“I have no idea because with these cars the last time I kind of drove in the wet was in Barcelona testing where there was only Max [Verstappen] and myself on track and that was basically one of the first times I drove this new generation of cars.
“Since then, there was lots of upgrades on the car; it’s a very different car. We understood a lot more about the car since then.
“But I expect a very tricky weekend because it’s a very difficult track, it’s a Sprint weekend. There’s some rain around after three weeks of holidays. It’s going to be quite tricky.
“But I’m looking forward to it. Whether it’s an advantage or not for us, we know that we have a strong car in the corners but in the wet it’s very different. So, we’ll have to see.”
Leclerc’s opinion of Ferrari’s upgrades so far in the 2026 F1 season
With regard to his impression of the standard of upgrades Ferrari have brought thus far in the 2026 F1 season and how far the SF-26 has evolved, Charles Leclerc commented in the lead-up to the Dutch GP that their development trajectory has been pretty formidable.
Highlighting how innovative they have been when it comes to tackling the convoluted new ruleset, the 27-time polesitter also commended the Maranello-based squad for their unparalleled production rate in the first eleven rounds.
Moreover, Leclerc argued that the in-season development battle will play a key role in determining the outcome of the championships and revealed that Ferrari would continue to push for regular upgrades in the second half of the campaign.
“Oh, I think it’s very impressive. I think it’s very impressive we’ve had a very aggressive approach this year compared to others, I believe.
“First, in terms of innovation, and I think this is a very positive sign to show that we are innovating and getting out of our way to try and find solutions around the regulations.
“And second, the very aggressive plan of bringing upgrades. I think production has done an incredible job for the first half of the season to work flat out in order for us to receive the parts as early as possible.
“And it’s making a lot of difference in a year like this where we are so early in the development and every upgrade you bring makes such a big difference.
“So, we’ll continue pushing like that for that second part of the season.”
Leclerc on how confident he is about driving in wet conditions during the 2026 Dutch GP weekend
In reference to him frequently facing difficulties while operating the intermediate tyres during the 2023 F1 season and whether he feels fully confident about his driving skills in the rain at the Dutch GP this weekend, Charles Leclerc clarified that it’s not primarily a driver issue but a team one.
Touching on how he has witnessed Ferrari’s struggles to warm up the wet-weather compounds since joining the team back in 2019, the Monégasque appeared cautiously hopeful about their performance in tricky conditions at Zandvoort since the dimensions of the Pirelli rubber have changed under the new regulations.
Furthermore, Leclerc emphasised how fickle the weather is in the coastal town of Zandvoort and asserted that adapting quickly to the changing conditions will be the key to decent lap times if it actually rains during a competitive session this weekend.
“I do. I think I meant more as a team; I think as a team we’ve been struggling massively with the intermediate tyres particularly but also extreme wet tyres.
“And it’s not been only in 2023. But I think since I joined the team, the team have been struggling to bring those tyres in the right window.
“So, this remains a point to focus. But this year, we also have new tyres which are slightly different compared to last year.
“So, we’ll have to make the best out of the very few laps we’ll get on the wet, if it ever rains at one point, and make sure that we adapt quickly.”
