‘Outlier’ Charles Leclerc disagrees with criticism of ‘more strategic’ F1 2026 racing
Charles Leclerc has broken ranks from his fellow F1 drivers.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has pushed back against criticism of the F1 2026 rules, insisting the racing is better than many claim.
Leclerc has described the racing element of the new rules as “really good,” highlighting the new strategic element introduced by the reliance on the energy recovery system.
Charles Leclerc rejects F1 2026 racing criticism: ‘it’s improved a little bit’
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google for news you can trust.
The all-new F1 2026 regulations were met with strong criticism from drivers and fans alike.
The impact of increased electrical energy on racing was especially jarring, with Leclerc himself describing it as “like the mushroom in Mario Kart” over the Australian GP weekend.
Following the opening three races of the year, changes were made to smooth some of the rough edges.
That included changes to energy deployment on safety grounds, and to the permitted minimum harvesting value in anticipation of ‘energy-poor’ venues.
In Miami, the first event after the changes were introduced, the on-track action was slightly more subdued.
However, with a long break ahead of the event allowing time for teams to develop their cars, an energy-rich venue, and the revised regulations, it is difficult to draw conclusions after the event.
Leclerc suggested the regulation changes were in the right direction, and that the impact on the racing itself was less significant.
“It’s improved a little bit,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets following the Miami GP.
“The battles in itself, I don’t think changed massively.
“The regulations will remain the regulations. We cannot do a revolution in the middle of the year, but it was a step in the right direction.”
One of the biggest criticisms from drivers has been the unintuitive driver style needed to get a lap time.
Where once cars were typically grip-limited through corners, in F1 2026 drivers had taken to easing off around corners to harvest energy, deploying it on the following straight.
There was less of that in Miami. However, as an energy-rich circuit, it was not expected there would be much need for lift and coast or super clipping even ahead of the changes.
The key change was the impact on boost mode, and the reduction in power when it was deployed in different parts of the circuit.
On the straights, drivers had access to 350kW as before, but for most of the lap it was capped at 250kW.
It was a change introduced on safety grounds to cover the risk of high closing speeds which led to Oliver Bearman’s Japanese GP crash.
But it also reduced the impact of the boost in battle, a point which should take the edge off some of the more overt battery-assisted overtakes – not that Leclerc saw them as a problem.
More on F1 2026 rules
FIA confirms changes to F1 2026 rules for Miami Grand Prix
FIA expands ADUO safety net as cancelled races force Formula 1 rule tweak
“I have always disagreed with that,” he said of criticisms of the F1 2026 racing spectacle.
“I know I’m a bit of an outlier on the grid, but I felt that, at least for the fights I’ve had with the guys in front, when you’ve got cars that have a system, and that use the system in a similar way to yours, actually, the overtaking is really good.
“It’s a bit more strategic than last year,” he added.
“But last year was also strategic with the DRS; if you wanted to overtake at a certain point to have the DRS, having it to pull away, so I don’t think it changed significantly.
“Surely there’s scope to fine tune the system, ways to try and use the system in a better way and optimise that,” he added.
“It’s not always natural what we do sometimes in the car.”
Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.
You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!
Read Next: Hamilton’s Ferrari dream dealt reality check by former Mercedes engineer
