Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur offered an encouraging assessment of Charles Leclerc’s progress after the 2026 F1 Barcelona-Catalunya GP, despite the driver suffering a second consecutive retirement.
Leclerc opened the season with a string of competitive performances, recording multiple top-four finishes at the start of the season, and standing on the podium in Australia and Japan. However, a recent slump has disrupted that momentum, while on the other side of the garage Lewis Hamilton appears to have found a second wind after a lacklustre maiden season with Ferrari.
Leclerc arrived at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP hoping to bounce back after the disappointment of Monaco, where a late-race crash while running in podium contention spoiled his home event. The Ferrari driver attributed the incident to a brake failure, his radio outburst prompting Brembo—Ferrari’s long-time brake supplier—to issue a statement. Leclerc has since stated he will adopt an alternative set-up, one Hamilton has already been using since Japan.
In Spain, Leclerc endured another difficult weekend. A crash in Q3 saw him line up tenth for the race; in the media pen, he morosely remarked he was “ashamed” of his qualifying mishap. Yet another technical issue hampered his recovery drive on Sunday and forced him to retire in the closing stages of the race.
Vasseur encouraged by Leclerc’s improving confidence
Despite the setbacks, Vasseur remains confident that Leclerc will return to form in the coming weeks.
Asked about the premature end to Leclerc’s Barcelona-Catalunya GP outing immediately after the race, Vasseur said Ferrari had not yet identified the exact cause. The driver informed the Ferrari pitwall that he had suffered a loss of “power steering” before abandoning his stricken SF-26.
“Not yet, I think it’s hydraulic,” Vasseur told the media.
He added: “I’m more positive with Charles than two or three weeks ago. He had a good feeling with the car, he was in confidence, he was able to fight for the pole position [on Saturday].”
Vasseur explained that the circumstances of the race—including an ill-timed safety car—made it difficult for Leclerc to maximise his performance at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP.
“Then the fact that he was starting P10 and we changed the strategy in the middle of the race, it was difficult for him,” the Ferrari boss said. “He pitted once again one lap before the safety car, it is like it is.
“I think the approach and the feeling is much better for Charles today than it was two or three weeks ago.”
