'The passion is still there' – Leclerc hopes 'our time will come' with Ferrari 'family'

Charles Leclerc has insisted "our time will come" at Ferrari as the Monegasque targets Drivers' Championship success with the Scuderia.

The 28-year-old has raced for Ferrari since 2019 and, while there have been plenty of highs, the dream of winning a title with the team he has followed since childhood has not materialised.

While Leclerc has enjoyed a strong start to 2026, finishing on the podium twice in the first three rounds and also taking second in the Shanghai Sprint, he knows he has a tough task on his hands given how much pace Mercedes have shown already this year.

However, Ferrari have a chance to work on their car during April, as do other teams on the grid, to see if they can bridge the gap to their rivals, with McLaren also joining the party at the front during the last race in Japan.

In Leclerc the Scuderia have a driver who is a proven performer both over one lap, and as a racer – and someone who remains as motivated as ever to chase down his dreams.

“Ferrari is family and a team that I've always loved and dreamed of driving for since I was a kid, and this hasn't changed one bit since I joined the team in 2019," Leclerc explained.

"So, the passion is still there. Then of course the will to win, and we want to win eventually, and I want to win.

“It's been so many years obviously working with the team to try and come back to the top. It's been a good step forward this year, we are just not yet where we want to be, and we'll keep pushing towards that direction.”

Ferrari last won the Drivers’ Championship title in 2007 courtesy of Kimi Raikkonen, while the team won the Constructors’ in 2008. Since then, they have watched McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes all win multiple titles.

Leclerc’s best finish in the Drivers’ Championship is second in 2022, a year where he won three Grands Prix for the team. But 2024 remains one of his most memorable seasons, when the Monegasque driver won his home Grand Prix and Ferrari’s home race at Monza.

After partnering Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz, Leclerc now drives alongside Lewis Hamilton – and thus far the duo seem to be operating together well. They have also provided some of the best racing so far this season, especially in China.

But while Leclerc and Hamilton’s battles have been entertaining, they have been for the podium places rather than the win. The SF-26 has one of the best getaways on the grid, which has seen both Leclerc and Hamilton lead at points this season, but they then tend to fall back once Mercedes manage to get in clean air.

If they can find a way to exploit the pace in the car over a full race distance, Ferrari could be a force to be reckoned with this season.

“I hope our time will come soon because yes, it's been a long time since I started and obviously time has passed," Leclerc concluded. "I'm doing my best and I hope our time will come this year or as soon as possible."