Charles Leclerc has acknowledged that Ferrari’s best strategy for competing with Mercedes at the Japanese Grand Prix will be to create early-race disruption before their pace disadvantage becomes apparent. The Monegasque driver expressed realistic expectations about his team’s chances at Suzuka, suggesting that while Ferrari can challenge Mercedes in the opening stages, they lack the sustained race pace to maintain pressure over a full grand prix distance.
Speaking during Thursday’s FIA press conference at Suzuka, Leclerc revealed that Ferrari’s primary weapon remains their exceptional starts, which have allowed both him and teammate Lewis Hamilton to jump ahead of Mercedes cars in the season’s first two rounds in Australia and China. However, the 26-year-old driver was candid about the limitations this strategy presents once track position is lost.
“I don’t think it’s as close as maybe people think,” Leclerc stated. “Our only chance to stay with them is to annoy them in the first few laps, but as soon as they get free air then they’ve shown their real pace in the last race, and I think there’s still these four or five tenths that we’ve seen throughout these first two races.” The Ferrari driver noted that Mercedes maintains a significant advantage of approximately half a second per lap once they achieve clear track position.
Mercedes has dominated the early stages of the 2026 campaign, securing victories in both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix, as well as claiming the Shanghai sprint race victory. Leclerc emphasized that Ferrari’s development program will be crucial for closing the gap, with several upgrades expected to arrive soon from Maranello.
The Ferrari driver stressed the importance of the ongoing development battle throughout the season, acknowledging that while his team currently occupies an “okay-ish” position, their ultimate goal remains race victories rather than consistent podium finishes. “This championship is going to be all about development and the upgrades that each team is going to bring,” Leclerc explained, while cautioning that Mercedes and other competitors are equally focused on continuous improvement throughout the campaign.