Charles Leclerc suggested drivers are beginning to ‘converge’ on how best to use the battery in the new F1 cars after complaints overtaking had become ‘artificial’.

Both grands prix of the 2026 season so far have seen an increased number of overtakes but fingers have been pointed to differing battery levels as an explanation behind the rise.

Charles Leclerc reacts to ‘artificial’ F1 complaint

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The increased importance of the battery in this regulation cycle has made F1 races seem like a seesaw between one driver having the electrical power compared to another before switching roles as the others’ battery has charged.

There have been plenty of comments that this has left an “artificial” feeling to F1 but Leclerc suggested it was not like that in the cockpit.

“I enjoy it, and it doesn’t feel so artificial from inside the car,” the Ferrari man said. “Of course, you’ve got those overtakes where it’s artificial whenever someone is doing a mistake with a battery and completely drains it, and then there’s a massive speed difference.

“But I feel like we are all converging a little bit towards knowing where we shouldn’t go and where can we try and take the risk, and so that creates very interesting overtaking places.”

Leclerc was one half of the most exciting battle yet as he and team-mate Lewis Hamilton traded places in China and the Monégasque suggested qualifying rather than races was the area that needed focus.

“Today was showing the smaller, lighter cars as well, a bit more agile, also a little bit easier to go around the outside. It’s not those super high downforce cars that we used to have in the past.

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“However, there are some things that we, of course, need to look at to make it a little bit more Formula 1 like in qualifying, because I feel like there’s something that we miss still, but I know if we work on it, hopefully we’ll find a solution for that.”

His former team-mate Carlos Sainz though suggested that China was a track that was always going to showcase the best of these cars and warned that different circuits will bring out the worst.

“I think in a track like China, they’re not that bad, because it is very energy-rich and harvesting-rich, which in the end means the engines behave very differently to last year, but not as different as they did in Melbourne.

“I think Melbourne, Monza, Spa – it definitely needs a rethink. I think development will also do its part. But I’m also 100% sure this is not the way I want to see it. And I’m also quite sure the people at the top also see that, and know that when you look at what they’re doing with graphics and everything, they’re trying to do their best to sell something that I think we all know is not the right formula for Formula 1.”

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