Image source: Getty Images
2026 FIA Formula One World Championship
2026 Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka Circuit
Suzuka City, Japan
Sunday, 29 March 2026
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc will be hoping to be the main challenger to Mercedes once more at the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29.
The Monegasque claims to enjoy the new generation of cars, which are more reliant on battery management, and he appears to be thriving under the significantly changed technical regulations.
Leclerc exchanged the lead with George Russell of Mercedes on several occasions at the Australian Grand Prix before ultimately claiming P3, and their battle continued in Shanghai.
The 28-year-old fought for P2 with team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Russell throughout the race, but just missed out on a podium in the end following his P4 finish.
Leclerc described the Chinese Grand Prix as a "run race" and is relishing the challenges posed by the 2026 car changes.
"I really enjoyed it," he said. "I'm not sure if you ask the team, they will reply the same. But I really enjoyed it.
"Honestly, these cars for races, it's actually quite fun, and yeah, it was just a cool race. At the end of the day, Lewis was just stronger, and I'm happy for his podium.
"I'm, of course, disappointed for losing out on the podium on my side, but I know I've given everything, and at the end of the day, Lewis was just stronger this weekend.
"It was a very fair, hard but fair battle, which was nice, and then, there's also a lot of tactics from inside the cockpit that are really cool.
"There was obviously this battle for who would get the overtake in the last corner, and we both braked very early. And, the way you deploy and manage the energy, it was a fun race."
2026 Chinese Grand Prix results:
Winner: Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes
Second Place: George Russell - Mercedes
Third Place: Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
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