Formula 1

Ferrari star admits he has 'no idea' if the team will be fast this year

Chris Deeley Friday 30 January 2026 19:00

Charles Leclerc has admitted that he's clueless about Ferrari's level of pace at this point in pre-season.

The Monegasque driver didn't hide the fact that he's unclear on his team's status compared to their rivals, with the first week's testing nearly over.

Is that an issue for Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton? Not necessarily – anyone in the paddock will freely admit that they have no idea where the chips will fall this year, with sweeping regulation changes throwing the sport's order into chaos.

Pre-season testing is notoriously tricky to glean any true insights from at the best of times, with this winter possibly being the most difficult of any in recent memory.

Leclerc: I have no idea where we are

Add that to the traditional sandbagging and obfuscation of true pace, and you're left with a landscape that's less Nicolas Poussin and more Picasso.

Speaking to F1 media at the track, Leclerc admitted: "In terms of checklist, yes. In terms of performance, I have no idea where we are, it's a huge question mark. There's nothing that tells me 'we are more or less here'."

Further testing in Bahrain should at least give teams an idea of where to aim their development, but fans – and teams – will only get a true picture of the field on Saturday in Melbourne.

Formula 1