Leclerc facing ‘now or never’ moment as Ferrari pressure grows

In the same amount of time that Leclerc has spent at Ferrari, Norris has helped McLaren win two constructors’ championships and has also claimed a drivers’ championship himself. The Briton also has three more race wins than Leclerc. With Mercedes being a strong contender this year, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli could be two more drivers to eclipse Leclerc.

At the end of the 2025 season, Leclerc told media, including GPblog, “The whole team is hugely motivated for next year because it's such a big change, a huge opportunity to show what Ferrari is capable of and it's now or never so I really hope that we will start this new era on the right foot because it's important for the next four years.”

He also said he still believes he can become a champion with Ferrari. At the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he said it would take six or seven races of the 2026 season to determine the pecking order. Leclerc was originally referring to Miami and Canada. However, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, the sixth F1 race of the season is the Monaco Grand Prix, with the seventh being the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Despite the calendar changes, Leclerc’s statement still stands. For the 28-year-old, it truly is now or never. While the season has arguably started off better for the Scuderia than the 2025 season did, Ferrari still has a way to go before catching up to Mercedes.

The eight-time winner recently stood on the podium behind the two Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, at the Australian Grand Prix. While he secured a podium finish, he still finished 15 seconds behind the race winner.

A key difference in Russell and Leclerc’s races during the Australian Grand Prix was their pit strategies. Russell was able to pit under the Virtual Safety Car, saving him precious time on his pit stop. Ferrari, on the other hand, did not pit Leclerc. The SF-26 has potential, as Leclerc passed Russell at the Australian Grand Prix and led the race for a few laps. However, he was not in a position to hold on to the lead, and that situation remains unchanged three races into the season.

During the Chinese Grand Prix, it was Leclerc’s teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who was able to briefly lead. Hamilton crossed the line third, with Leclerc in fourth. The Mercedes drivers stood upon the top two steps once again, this time with Antonelli on top. The Ferraris were still over 25 seconds behind the leading Mercedes. While a safety car period occurred during the Chinese GP, Ferrari were able to capitalise on it, unlike in Melbourne.

This adds another obstacle for Leclerc as he decides what to do with his future. He also has to ask himself whether Ferrari is in a position to make the right calls at the right time. For the Japanese Grand Prix, there was a shakeup in the pecking order with only one Mercedes driver on the podium. This time around, Leclerc was able to fend off Russell to hold on to third place.

There is no doubt that the SF-26 has the potential to fight at the front, however, the Monégasque driver is now lagging behind a 19-year-old driver in Antonelli in the standings.

As the season develops, it will become clearer to Leclerc how the new regulations will shape the coming years. With time ticking away in his career, it truly is now or never for Leclerc and Ferrari to win together.