Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has attributed Charles Leclerc’s victory at the British Grand Prix to a resurgence in the driver’s confidence. Leclerc secured his first win of the 2026 Formula 1 season at Silverstone, marking a significant turnaround after a challenging period.
Vasseur stated that the result itself provided the greatest boost to Leclerc’s confidence. He emphasised that while performance data consistently showed Leclerc’s pace, a lack of results and reliability issues had impacted his mental state.
The Monegasque driver had experienced a difficult run of races, including consecutive retirements in Monaco and Barcelona, followed by an eighth-place finish in Austria. These events led to Leclerc losing the crucial ‘feeling’ for his Ferrari SF-26 car.
A key factor in regaining this confidence was a change in brake material. Leclerc switched from Brembo to Carbon Industries discs, aligning his setup with that of teammate Lewis Hamilton. This adjustment helped him to reshape his approach and push harder.
‘He found the confidence. That’s it,’ Vasseur commented after the Silverstone victory. ‘Each step of setup is not making a proper difference in terms of lap time, but sometimes, it’s giving them confidence to push a bit more.’
Leclerc himself confirmed that ‘the feeling was back where it needs to be’ after his Silverstone triumph. He acknowledged the specific nature of the current F1 cars, which require more time to adapt to.
Despite his recent struggles, Vasseur maintained that Ferrari never doubted Leclerc’s underlying performance. The team’s internal data indicated that his pace was present, even when circumstances prevented him from converting it into points.
The British Grand Prix was Ferrari’s second victory of the 2026 season. Hamilton had previously secured a win for the Scuderia in Barcelona, with both drivers now contributing to the team’s points tally.
At Silverstone, Leclerc started from the front row and overtook pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli at the start. Antonelli’s challenge later unravelled due to a car issue, and the race concluded under a Safety Car following Max Verstappen’s incident.
Following his win, Leclerc has reduced his deficit to Hamilton to 39 points in the Drivers’ Championship. Hamilton currently trails championship leader Antonelli by 32 points, with Mercedes remaining a benchmark despite recent reliability setbacks.
The Ferrari SF-26 chassis has been noted for its strong aerodynamic concept, though the power unit continues to exhibit a deficit compared to Mercedes, estimated at approximately 30 horsepower.
Ferrari’s strong race starts, a feature earlier in the season due to a compact turbocharger design, have seen their advantage diminish. This follows the FIA’s introduction of a revised start procedure.
Leclerc has stated he will not get ‘carried away’ by the single victory, recognising that the battle with the car’s characteristics is ongoing. He intends to continue working to maintain this newfound feeling more consistently.
