Charles Leclerc let slip some information regarding Ferrari’s engine, seemingly against the team’s wishes, after the Formula 1 race in Azerbaijan.
Sky Italy captured the moment between Leclerc and his press officer in the post-race media session in Baku.
It was a mixed weekend for Leclerc and the Prancing Horse, with the Monegasque qualifying second but struggling to find a competitive race pace in his SF-26. The Ferrari driver struggled not just against the Mercedes, which have been the dominant car this season, but also against Oscar Piastri’s McLaren and the Red Bull duo.
For much of the race, Leclerc was resigned to fifth, only moving to fourth when Piastri made a mistake and plummeted down the order.
After the race, Sky Italy asked Leclerc whether his SF-26 was fitted with the newest-spec ADUO 2 power unit. He told the press it was, which seemed to panic his press officer.
“I had the latest specification,” Leclerc answered when he turned to his press officer and then added: “I don’t know if I’m saying something I shouldn’t. But I thought you knew.”
A assessora do Charles Leclerc negando com a cabeça "disfarçadamente":
— Desacelerando F1 (@desacelerandof) September 26, 2026
"Você tinha o motor ADUO 1 ou ADUO 2?"
Leclerc: "Eu tinha a versão mais recente, ADUO 2. Não sei se estou dizendo algo que não deveria. Mas pensei que você soubesse." pic.twitter.com/FIRDwupFbj
A lack of race pace
Ferrari struggling with race pace has plagued the team in previous generations of cars. For the most part, it hadn’t been as significant an issue in the 2026 regulations, with qualifying taking the hit for the team.
However, the balance has shifted, and in recent rounds Ferrari have found themselves near the front of the grid for the start and struggling to keep up in the race.
Leclerc wasn’t the only Ferrari to struggle, with Hamilton suffering a similar fate and sitting sixth throughout the race. The Monegasque urged Ferrari to keep upgrading the car. Especially as McLaren and Red Bull continue bringing upgrades and making steps forward.
“They were very strong,” Leclerc said when talking of Mercedes. “McLaren were also strong – not maybe as strong as Red Bull, but Red Bull were particularly strong. We know they have a very strong power unit, so this is a good race for them, but still.”
“We were quite far off Mercedes, far off Red Bull, a bit behind McLaren – these are our competitors, and it’s not new. It’s been quite a few races now that we’re losing a little bit of track to them, so it’s important that we react to that and that we bring upgrades in order to close the gap again.”
The early hope that followed Ferrari and, particularly, Hamilton in the early phases of this season seems to have passed. The Maranello team is resigned to fighting for the runners-up places in the championship.
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