F1 race winner claims Charles Leclerc has hit 'rock bottom' at Ferrari

Charles Leclerc, Alexandra Saint Mleux, Ferrari, Australia, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Charles Leclerc has hit 'rock bottom' at Ferrari claims F1 race winner

Charles Leclerc has endured a disappointing run at Ferrari of late

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Wednesday 24 June 2026 12:27

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F1 star Charles Leclerc is going through one of the rougher patches of his Ferrari career.

The Monegasque star signed with the Scuderia when he was just 20 years old, completing a single season with Sauber as a rookie before being bumped up to the main Italian outfit for the 2019 campaign.

Now 28, Leclerc has just signed a multi-year contract extension that could reportedly see him stick with the Maranello-based squad until at least 2030.

But even after seven full seasons in red, Leclerc is yet to mount a serious championship battle.

After a difficult first year at Ferrari for his new team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc seemed to be holding his own against the seven-time champion, but now that the Brit has been handed a car he actually had a say in shaping, things don't seem to be going the Monegasque's way.

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Leclerc struggling: 'He didn’t expect Hamilton to be this competitive'

In their first campaign alongside one another at Ferrari, Leclerc finished the season ahead of Hamilton, picking up 86 points more than the former Mercedes star.

After Hamilton's first win in red at the Barcelona Grand Prix last time out however and Leclerc is now struggling down in fourth as he watches the 41-year-old strengthen his position in second.

There have even been talks among pundits and fans alike over whether the Scuderia should sacrifice Leclerc's season in order to help Hamilton take the fight to the dominant Mercedes duo, a concept which doesn't paint a positive picture for the rest of Leclerc's year.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, F1 race winner and former Ferrari driver Rene Arnoux was asked how he felt Leclerc handled Hamilton's success in Barcelona, especially considering the 28-year-old picked up his second DNF in as many races in Spain.

In response, Arnoux gave a rather blunt assessment: "Right now, his morale is at rock bottom.

"He’s shown a fragility that was, in some ways, unexpected, making too many mistakes."

The French racer who represented Ferrari between 1983 and 1985 then highlighted Leclerc's recent on-track incidents as proof that he is struggling mentally.

"He crashed in Miami, Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Clearly, he’s not comfortable with the car, but the problem is mainly a mental one.

"He didn’t expect Hamilton to be this competitive."

F1 Ferrari Charles Leclerc