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Charles Leclerc enjoyed a brilliant start in Melbourne, splitting the front-row Mercedes cars to take an early lead in the first race of the new era. However, the Ferrari driver warned that the Scuderia’s current advantage at the start of races is likely to evaporate quickly as Mercedes and other rivals master the new 2026 launch procedures.
Mastering the turbo window
Ferrari currently appears more efficient at bringing their power unit into the ideal "working window" for the start. Leclerc noted that while Mercedes struggled with this in Australia, they are a team known for solving technical puzzles rapidly. Once all manufacturers understand how to hit that optimal range consistently, Leclerc expects the differences at the start to become marginal across the grid.
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"I don't think we'll keep that advantage all season," Leclerc admitted. He described the Melbourne start as particularly difficult due to the unusually rapid timing of the start lights, which went out faster than any he had experienced in his decade-long Formula 1 career.
New regulations, same tactical games
Despite the technical complexity of the 2026 cars, Leclerc sees clear similarities to the tactical battles of the past. He compared the current energy management struggles to his 2022 battles with Max Verstappen in Jeddah, where both drivers engaged in cat-and-mouse games to secure DRS. For Leclerc, the new rules simply represent "a new way to play the same game," and he looks forward to the continued tactical evolution as the season progresses.
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