Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has opened up about a remarkable change in attitude at Maranello, one he says he has never witnessed during his time with the team.
The Monegasque driver signed a new long-term contract with Ferrari this week, committing his future to the Scuderia as they chase down dominant Mercedes.
Mercedes have won every race of the 2026 season so far and hold a 72-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ standings.
Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ championship with 131 points, with George Russell in second place on 88 points heading into the coming rounds.
Leclerc sits third in the standings on 75 points, while team-mate Lewis Hamilton is just behind in fourth on 72 points.
Despite the deficit, Leclerc insists there is a fresh and powerful energy running through the Ferrari organisation that he finds genuinely striking.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the team so pushed to the limit,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport when asked what the mood is like in the team.
“There’s an aggressive mentality that I really like, in every aspect: the production, the innovation, the risks we’ve taken.”
Leclerc also highlighted a sense of composure that he believes was previously missing from Ferrari’s approach in recent seasons.
“The other different aspect I perceive is the calm: we want results, but at the same time there’s a clarity in managing everything that we didn’t have a few seasons ago.”
The combination of aggression and clarity appears to be giving Leclerc confidence that the title race remains very much alive despite Mercedes’ strong form.
When asked directly whether Ferrari can still beat Mercedes this season, the Ferrari driver did not hesitate in his response.
“Of course, this season can go in any direction,” he said, refusing to concede any ground to the Silver Arrows.
“The world championship is still wide open. We need to keep working hard and not lose our enthusiasm, especially within the team.”
Ferrari’s challenge will be to convert that energy and cultural shift into tangible performance gains on track as the second half of the season approaches.