Formula 1 had another solid result from Charles Leclerc at the 2026 Japanese GP, with the Ferrari driver admitting surprise at being able to take his Hard tires to the end of the race. The Monegasque secured third place after a demanding race full of strategic variables.
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The result came after a complicated scenario caused by the safety car. The neutralization right after his pit stop completely changed his approach to the race and required a recovery over the final laps.
Leclerc even held second position for part of the race, but ended up involved in an intense battle in the decisive laps. He had to deal with pressure from Lewis Hamilton and George Russell while managing tire wear.
“It was a very tense race,” the driver stated. “With the safety car, we ended up being a bit unlucky. From then on, I knew I was at a disadvantage, especially compared to Kimi and Lewis.”
Even with the adverse scenario, the Ferrari competitor decided to bet on taking the set to the end without a new stop. The strategy required control and consistency, especially given the expectation of a drop in tire performance.
“I thought about continuing to push and trying to take these tires to the end. And, in fact, it wasn’t as big a disadvantage as I imagined. The tires were actually quite good,” he explained.
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According to him, the main setback happened right after the safety car, when he lost important positions. Still, he managed to stay competitive and regain ground in the second half of the race.
In the fight for the podium, Leclerc crossed the finish line a few seconds behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Despite the effort, he recognized that there wasn’t enough pace to seek anything beyond third position.
“It was a fun race, but we didn’t have enough to catch Oscar,” said the driver, highlighting the balance between the teams in the contest.
With the result, the Monegasque secured his second podium of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The performance reinforces Ferrari’s consistency at the start of this championship, even in the face of unpredictable races like the one in Suzuka.
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