Charles Leclerc stated that he never doubted his ability as a Formula 1 driver, even after facing a difficult sequence of results in 2026. After returning to victory at the British GP, the Ferrari driver explained how he distanced himself from social media to deal with the criticism received in recent months.
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The Monegasque’s recovery comes after a tough period between Miami and Austria, when he scored only twenty points in five rounds. Accidents in Miami, Monaco, and Barcelona increased the pressure on the driver, who now also sees his name involved in discussions about possible team orders in favor of Lewis Hamilton in the title fight.
Leclerc ended his winless streak at Silverstone by securing his first victory since the 2024 US GP. After the race, he commented that he chose to ignore the external environment to prevent opinions from influencing his perception of the moment he was living.
“Things are said and you go from hero to villain, from villain to hero, in two days in this sport. My job was to try to eliminate that noise as much as possible, not look at anything and not listen to anything,” he said.
The Ferrari competitor also emphasized that he never believed he had lost his quality behind the wheel: “I know I didn’t become a bad driver overnight. It was just a matter of finding the feeling with the car again,” he said.
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According to Leclerc, the characteristics of the current cars require a longer adaptation period. He explained that he started the season in good shape but lost some confidence in the equipment after changes made by the team, a process that took longer than he expected to resolve.
Besides the adaptation difficulties, the Monegasque recalled that he faced problems on Sundays that cost him important points throughout the championship: “Overall, it was not a pleasant situation, but I am very happy to come out of it this way,” he added.
Even with the victory at Silverstone, Leclerc avoided any tone of euphoria: “It’s still just the beginning. It was just one race and I can’t let myself think the war is over,” concluded the Ferrari driver.
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