Ferrari face 'make-or-break' F1 season as driver lineup thrown into question

Ferrari have been warned that they are facing a 'make-or-break' F1 season in 2026 as rumours over a rival team's interest in signing Charles Leclerc have emerged.

Leclerc's team-mate at the Scuderia, Lewis Hamilton, suffered a dismal Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, which led him to label 2025 as his worst season ever in the sport.

But while concerns have risen over whether Hamilton could be considering retirement, Italian journalist Leo Turrini has reported that Aston Martin executives have been in contact with Leclerc's manager, Nicolas Todt.

Ferrari declined to comment on the rumours when approached by GPFans.

And now, former Ferrari F1 driver Ivan Capelli has warned his former team that how they handle the 2026 regulations change could make-or-break whether they manage to keep Leclerc within their ranks.

In a video for Sky Sports Italia, Capelli said: "In 2026, there will be significant regulatory changes, presenting opportunities for everyone. This will be true for Ferrari, for Leclerc, but also for all the other contenders.

"It will be a make-or-break year for Charles: if things go well, he can move forward, otherwise he will look elsewhere."

Are Ferrari at risk of losing Leclerc?

Though the rumours circulating in Italian media in no way confirm that a potential move is on the cards for Leclerc, it does present the worrying reality for the Scuderia that they could be at risk of losing their star driver.

Hamilton may have 105 grand prix wins and seven drivers' titles to his name, but that glory is synonymous with Mercedes, not Ferrari, and Leclerc has been the golden boy of the Italian team, Il predestinato, if you will.

When the decision was made to axe former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz in order to make way for Hamilton, the Spaniard admitted that he knew the team would never willingly lose Leclerc.

After seven seasons with the Maranello-based squad, Leclerc has barely come close to a championship fight and is yet to add a drivers' title to his F1 legacy.

If 2026 signals to the 28-year-old that his chances of fighting for a championship with Ferrari are unlikely to improve, he would be doing himself a disservice by not looking for a contract elsewhere.

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