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While Lewis Hamilton has been vocal about his enthusiasm for the new Ferrari, Charles Leclerc is taking a far more cautious and measured approach to the 2026 season. The Monegasque driver, who finished a respectable third in the Australian Grand Prix, insists on staying "neutral" to avoid the noise and unrealistic expectations that often surround the Italian team.
Managing the Ferrari "noise"
Ferrari enjoyed a strong pre-season, with Hamilton topping the Barcelona shakedown and Leclerc setting the fastest overall lap in Bahrain. However, Leclerc is wary of the hype that often precedes a Ferrari title charge. "I've been with the team for a few years now and I know how it is," he told media in Australia. "Driving for Ferrari is very special, but there is also a lot of noise and sometimes expectations that don't reflect the real picture."
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Leclerc emphasized that he is taking the season "day by day," focusing on building performance through incremental steps. While he was pleased with his podium in the season opener, he refuses to make bold predictions about a championship fight. His goal is to maintain focus within the team and ignore the external pressure.
Shared enthusiasm with Hamilton
Despite their differing public tones, Leclerc clarified that he and Hamilton are perfectly aligned behind the scenes. He noted that Hamilton is just as excited about the new regulations as he is, and both are working tirelessly with the engineers to extract more pace from the SF-26.
"I just think he's enormously enthusiastic," Leclerc said of his teammate. "He was already very enthusiastic when he joined the team last year and he's just as enthusiastic about these new cars, just like me." Leclerc added that he actually enjoys the uncertainty of the new regulations, such as the unpredictable safety car restart scenarios, which add an element of surprise and excitement to the racing.
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