Charles Leclerc delivers first verdict on Ferrari SF-26 after Fiorano shakedown

Charles Leclerc shared his thoughts on the Ferrari SF-26 following the shakedown on Friday 23 January.

The Monegasque driver was encouraged by the fact that there were no major issues, but added that it was too early to say definitively, especially as the conditions were not ideal at the Fiorano circuit.

Following the unveiling of the SF-26, both Leclerc and his team-mate Lewis Hamilton took to the track for a shakedown. 

“I’m definitely looking forward to this day every year. However, it’s the kind of day where the main target is to check that everything is working properly and that there are no big problems, which was the case today, so that is a positive," Leclerc told F1.com.

"But in terms of performance, in terms of feeling, it’s too early to say. The conditions weren’t that great either. There’s a lot of fog, a little bit of a wet track as well, so it’s not the best conditions to test a car for the first time.

"But I was very excited because there’s been so much talk and so much work behind the scenes in order to get to that moment ready and so that the car could obviously go around the track normally and check for the first time the real sensors on the car to see whether it was doing the things that we expected."

Lewis Hamilton & Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photo by: Ferrari

As the drivers took the car out for the first time, the Tifosi gathered to watch the action.

"It’s been a very exciting moment, especially because being in Fiorano there’s a lot of Tifosi all around the track and that adds to that very special feeling."

The shakedown took place ahead of private testing this week in Barcelona.

Ferrari finished fourth in the 2025 constructors' championship with 398 points, a position they will be hoping to improve on in 2026.