Leclerc: “Compete against Mercedes? Too early to say. This weekend was a surprise.”

Charles Leclercwho took the victory in the long race of the British Grand Prix 2026, stated at the FIA ​​press conference that it is “too early” to know if Ferrari will compete against Mercedes. Likewise, according to number 16, this weekend was “a big surprise for the entire team.”

“I’m not talking about today’s victory, but about the general performance. We were much faster than we thought, and I think that, although we must analyze things when they are much worse than expected, we must also analyze them when they are much better,” declared the Monegasque.

The Ferrari driver coincided on the podium with his teammate Lewis hamiltonwho lost second place to George Russel after a strategic success on the part of mercedes. “Before the weekend, I remember the meetings on Thursday and we thought we would be six or five tenths away, at least. But we were much better, and we actually won. So yeah, it’s a very special feeling.”

It was precisely Hamilton who snatched the victory from Leclerc five years ago, after a controversial incident between the British and his then rival for the championship, Max. Verstappen, which resulted in a 10-second penalty for the Stevenage player. “This victory tastes very good. I don’t know if what happened (yesterday) compensates for what happened in 2021, but I honestly didn’t think about that when I was in the car,” declared the former Sauber driver.

Regarding his victory in 2026, the Monte Carlo-born driver said: “It means a lot. Obviously there was a lot of negativity around me, which happens when things get tough. False stories were created and it’s never a good environment to work in.”

“However, we kept our heads down, kept working hard and got the result we got today,” Charles stressed. “It fills me with pride for the whole team that has been pushing me and helping me regain that feeling with the car. Like I said, it’s just a first step and I have to prove it on different tracks. But at a circuit like this, where confidence is key, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without that feeling, so it’s really good.”

“The victory was going to be complicated“, admitted the 2022 world runner-up. “We were a little lucky with Kimi Antonelli in the end, but sometimes we also need it“. The Italian driver, from Mercedes, suffered from mechanical problems that caused him to drop to 15th position after several pit stops and a track limits penalty.

Leclerc, winner of the test, had “a very strong start.” According to the Monegasque, “that was a key point. Afterwards, I simply tried to manage my tires, concentrate on the feelings I had with the car since qualifying. I knew what to do inside the car and what to change in terms of the controls I have on the steering wheel. I felt very comfortable in the car, especially in the first stint. That’s when I understood that victory was a possibility.”