Leclerc plays down the rivalry between Ferrari and Mercedes despite the initial contests.

      "There’s a discrepancy of four or five tenths of a second."

      Charles Leclerc has downplayed the perceived closeness between Ferrari and Mercedes, asserting that the gap at the front is "not as tight as it seems." While Ferrari has clearly established itself as the second team behind the dominant Mercedes squad after the first two races of 2026, Leclerc believes that the on-track duels have been deceiving. "I think the battle at the front isn’t as close as it appears. We’re not as near as people assume," he stated at Suzuka.

      "In the initial races, we witnessed some fights at the front, which is great. However, if you mismanage the energy in these cars even slightly, you can lose considerable time. This creates opportunities to apply pressure on the leaders. Yet, they showcase their true speed once they have a clear track."

      Leclerc assesses that the actual gap is already evident. "And there’s the difference of four or five tenths of a second per lap, which we observed in the early races. That’s a significant amount," he remarked. "However, I won’t let that dishearten me. We have several developments in progress that we hope will assist us. We shouldn’t overdo it, as that can easily happen in this situation. We need to focus on ourselves."

      The Ferrari driver remains optimistic that the gap can be narrowed throughout the season, especially in the initial stages of the new regulations. "The season is still in its early stages, and I believe it’s feasible. Nonetheless, it’s a considerable challenge and anything but simple," he mentioned. "Mercedes is also not resting on its achievements and is pushing hard."

      Leclerc highlighted the power unit as the primary area of disparity. "There is much that can be accomplished simply by optimizing the power unit. I think that’s the largest distinction between us and Mercedes," he stated. "Yet, there are also aspects in the chassis where we can improve. Although I believe our chassis is already quite strong. The major difference compared to Mercedes lies in the engine."