Charles Leclerc does not show concern about Ferrari’s financial situation within the Formula 1 cost cap. The Monegasque stated that he fully trusts Fred Vasseur’s management given the intense pace of updates adopted by the team this year.
Read more F1: Allison admits that «I am not as satisfied as I would like» with Mercedes in 2026
After eleven rounds held in the 2026 season, Ferrari brought new parts to the SF-26 in practically every race weekend. The strategy contrasts with Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull Racing, which focused their efforts on larger update packages, accompanied by smaller changes more spaced out.
Ferrari opted for continuous evolution, seeking gradual gains instead of waiting for big packages. Vasseur defended the choice by explaining that the benefit can be greater when an improvement remains available for longer: “It’s better to have a few tenths for five races than a few tenths in the last two,” he said.
Lewis Hamilton also supported the strategy and highlighted that frequent updates do not always represent big changes to the car: “We have been bringing updates weekend after weekend. We hope to have more in the second half of the year, and we keep pushing,” said the seven-time world champion, emphasizing the focus on constant improvements.
Read more F1: New Cadillac boss wants to discover the full potential of the Ferrari engine
However, Ferrari’s pace caught the attention of Toto Wolff. The Mercedes boss admitted surprise at the Italian team’s ability to keep introducing new parts, and questioned how much room there still was within the cost cap: “In my opinion, they must run out of money soon, cost cap money, because we can’t do that,” Wolff said.
Leclerc, on the other hand, sees no reason for concern: “On this, I trust Fred more than anything,” he said, explaining that there is an effort by the team to speed up production and make development more efficient: “I’m sure Fred is taking care of that. So, am I worried? I’m not, because I fully trust Fred and I know he knows what he’s doing,” concluded the Monegasque driver.
Read more F1: Lowdon is another boss who left a team in the middle of the year
