Leclerc hits back at ‘artificial’ 2026 F1 claims after epic Hamilton battle in China
Photo: Race Pictures
16:00, 17 Mar
Updated: 16:31, 17 Mar
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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has defended the racing under F1's 2026 regulations, saying it"doesn't feel so artificial" from inside the cockpit, despite strong criticisms from other drivers claiming otherwise.
With so much hinging on battery levels and deployment in F1 2026, racing has had something of a 'yo-yo' effect in terms of overtaking, with some drivers, including Max Verstappen, likening the new rules to something out of 'Mario Kart.'
Leclerc, however, has a slightly different view after his thrilling battle for the last podium position with teammate Lewis Hamilton, instead arguing the new rules have made the 2026 cars "actually quite fun" in race trim.
Leclerc defends 2026 racing after 'hard' battle with Hamilton
Photo: Race Pictures
Speaking to media, including GPblog, after the Chinese GP, Leclerc expressed more positivity than ever before about the new regulations, pushing back slightly on other drivers' claims that the 2026 racing is 'artificial.'
He said: "I enjoy it and it doesn't feel so artificial from inside the car.”
"Of course, you've got those overtakes where it's artificial, whenever someone is doing a mistake with the battery and completely drains it and then, there's a massive speed difference.
“But, I feel like we are all converging a little bit towards knowing where shouldn't we go and where can we try and take the risk and so, that creates very interesting overtaking places. I think today was the showing of that.”
The Monegasque also commented on his tense fight with Hamilton, which took place across several laps in Shanghai, as the Ferrari duo constantly exchanged the final podium spot in some rather unorthodox overtaking zones.
“I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure if you ask the team, they will reply the same. But, I really enjoyed it.
“Honestly, these cars for races, it's actually quite fun and yeah, it was just a cool race. At the end of the day, Lewis was just stronger and I'm happy for his podium.
I'm, of course, disappointed for losing out on the podium on my side, but I know I've given everything and at the end of the day, Lewis was just stronger this weekend.
“It was a very fair, hard but fair battle, which was nice and then, there's also a lot of tactics from inside the cockpit that is really cool. There was obviously this battle for who will get the overtake in the last corner and we both brake very early. And, the way you deploy and manage the energy, it was a fun race.”
Hamilton eyes first win after long-awaited Ferrari podium
Hamilton finally managed to break his Ferrari curse during the Shanghai weekend, securing his first podium with the Maranello-based team and returning to the top three for the first time since the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Fresh off the back of his first podium, the seven-time world champion already has eyes set on his first Grand Prix win in red, expressing confidence that "it’s more in sight than ever before."
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