Charles Leclerc has a slightly different opinion about the 2026 regulations than many of his fellow drivers. According to the Monegasque, overtaking with the new power units actually works very well, even though driving the car doesn’t always feel very natural: ‘The power unit definitely still needs some tweaking,’ Leclerc admits.
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Formula 1 raced at the Miami GP for the first time since the initial rule changes for 2026 came into effect. The FIA hopes the regulation adjustments will mainly improve qualifying and safety, but according to Charles Leclerc, the changes were minimal. “The regulations remain the regulations. I mean, we can’t start a revolution halfway through the year,” the Monegasque told the media. “But it was a step in the right direction. It drove a bit better.”
Max Verstappen previously compared racing under the new regulations to the game Mario Kart. According to Leclerc, the new style of racing isn’t that bad. “I’ve always somewhat disagreed with the other drivers on that. I know I’m a bit of an outsider on the grid in this regard, but I found that, at least for the battles I’ve had with the guys in front of me, if you have cars with a system similar to yours, overtaking actually goes very well. It’s a bit more strategic than last year.”
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Improvements needed
Still, the Ferrari driver believes the regulations can be improved. “Yes, the power unit definitely still needs some tweaking. There are ways to better use and optimize that system. What you have to do in the car isn’t always very natural.” The FIA announced on Friday that changes to the power unit will be implemented for the 2027 season. The fifty-fifty split between the combustion engine and electric motor will then be abandoned.
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