Charles Leclerc tested the new Ferrari SF 26 in Fiorano – the Monegasque driver praised its reliability, but fog prevented him from forming a definitive opinion.
Charles Leclerc commented on the new “goddess” for the first time after the shakedown of the new Ferrari SF-26 on Friday, January 23. The Monegasque driver was encouraged by the fact that there were no major technical problems, but at the same time emphasized that it was still too early to make a definitive assessment – especially since conditions at the in-house track in Fiorano were not ideal.
After the official unveiling of the SF-26, both Leclerc and his new teammate Lewis Hamilton took to the track for their first outing.
“I definitely look forward to this day every year,” Leclerc told F1.com. “However, it’s a day when the main goal is to check that everything is working properly and that there are no major problems. That was the case today, so that’s positive.”
However, the Ferrari star does not want to make a preliminary judgment on the competitiveness of the new car just yet. “In terms of performance and driving feel, it’s still too early to say anything,” he explains, referring to the weather: “The conditions weren’t particularly good either. It was very foggy and the track was a bit damp in places. So it wasn’t the best conditions for testing a car for the first time.”
Nevertheless, anticipation prevailed. “I was very excited because there had been a lot of talk and hard work behind the scenes to be ready for this moment,” said Leclerc. The goal was for the car to “drive normally around the track and for us to be able to check the real sensors on the car for the first time to see if it does what we expected.”
The SF-26’s maiden voyage was traditionally accompanied by the tifosi, who had gathered in large numbers at the fences to watch the action. “It was a very exciting moment, especially because there were so many tifosi around the track here in Fiorano, which adds to that very special feeling,” Leclerc enthused.
