Regardless of a lacklustre begin to the season, Charles Leclerc insists that Ferrari should not hand over on its 2025 title hopes with a view to consider 2026.
Saudi Arabia, spherical 5 of a 24 race season, marked the Maranello outfit’s first podium of the yr, aside from Lewis Hamilton’s Dash win in China.
On Sunday in Shanghai, having completed fifth and sixth, each drivers have been disqualified, Leclerc for his automobile being underweight, and Hamilton for extreme put on to his plank.
Thus, the Jeddah podium leaves Ferrari fourth within the standings, 110 factors adrift of McLaren.
Following the introduction of a brand new ground in Bahrain, additional updates appeared on the SF-25 in Jeddah, however regardless of that podium it’s nonetheless too early to know if the workforce is not off course, particularly with Hamilton’s troublesome begin to the season.
Nevertheless, fearing that the Maranello outfit might hand over on the present season and throw its weight behind its 2026 contender, Leclerc has known as on Ferrari to assume once more.
“It is nonetheless a protracted season and we should not hand over for positive,” he mentioned, in line with Motorsport Week. “We’re going to push till the very finish, however I feel one can go along with the opposite as properly.
“We fairly often say, let’s change to subsequent yr’s automobile immediately. I feel these sorts of issues are increasingly with the brand new buildings in Method 1, they’ll go parallel to 1 one other.
“I do not assume you will be excessive in someway,” he added. “So it doesn’t suggest that we’re solely specializing in this season, forgetting about subsequent season, or vice versa. We try to do the perfect in each worlds, we’ll see the place that leads us.
“Then, after all, as quickly because the probabilities of a championship this yr will not be potential anymore, it most likely is smart to completely concentrate on ’26.”
Anticipating additional upgrades at Imola after which in Spain, the Monegasque insists that even when Ferrari does change focus he’ll stay as dedicated and decided on this season as ever.
“For me it is not likely a problem,” he mentioned. “I imply I’m at all times totally motivated to extract the utmost out of my automobile, regardless of the place that brings me.
“After all, you’re at all times dissatisfied if you do all the pieces excellent and the perfect consequence achievable is P4,” he admitted. “However then you definately return into the automobile the subsequent race and, no less than for me, I nonetheless have the complete motivation to try to do one thing particular and to perhaps win a race with a automobile that’s much less good than the folks round me.
“That is the place I discover my motivation is to attempt to outperform every time I can, so motivation will not be an issue.”
