Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc says it is "now or never' for the Italian team to fight for championships under the all-new regulation changes for 2026.
Ferrari slipped from second to fourth this year after it missed the mark at the start of the 2025 campaign, and then decided to focus all of its aero resources on next year's car from April onwards.
The end result was a frustrating campaign without any grand prix wins for Leclerc and newcomer Lewis Hamilton, who ended the year with three consecutive Q1 exits.
As the team and its chief Fred Vasseur came under increasing scrutiny in Italy over the season, Leclerc is under no illusion that the choices Ferrari has made mean the pressure is on under the new ruleset, especially as the Monegasque has been patiently waiting for a championship-winning car since 2019.
When asked if he still believes the Scuderia can provide him with that, Leclerc replied: "I do, and next year will be a crucial year.
"The whole team is hugely motivated for next year, because it's such a big change, a huge opportunity to show what Ferrari is capable of. It's now or never, so I really hope that we will start this new era on the right foot, because it's important for the four years after."
"By race six or seven, I think we'll have a good idea of who are the teams that will be dominating for the four years after."
Commenting on his winless season, he said: "It's tough, whether it's the toughest or not, I don't know. I tend to forget those negative emotions as quickly as possible, so I don't know if it's the worst one, but for sure it's a very disappointing one."
Alongside George Russell, who is in a similar position at Mercedes, Leclerc has been hailed as one of the standout drivers of 2025, excluding the three title protagonists, as the pair finished fourth and fifth respectively.
"I rate my season actually high," Leclerc said last month at the las Vegas Grand Prix. "I think I've done a good job. But again, there are always things that you can do better.
"I think the first year it was very clear what my weaknesses were, but then you work on them and you always focus on smaller and smaller details. And now it's smaller details, but it still makes the difference. So that's what I will focus on."
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