Charles Leclerc says he can win Formula 1 Title with Ferrari after eight years with the team

As such, Ferrari's title drought continues, as they last won an F1 Drivers' Title with Kimi Räikkönen, while in 2008 they won their last Constructors' Championship.

Leclerc joined Ferrari in 2019 and showed promise immediately, beating then teammate and four-time F1 Champion Sebastian Vettel, and despite winning eight races with the Scuderia, a proper title challenge is yet to happen.

In 2022, the start of the ground-effect era, Ferrari had a strong start, and Leclerc initially challenged Max Verstappen, but neither he nor the team could sustain that as Red Bull edged ahead in terms of development while errors from both driver and team meant the Reds fell out of contention.

Regardless, Leclerc insists he is happy where he is and is still keeping the faith; he said: “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.

"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," he noted.

Ferrari were hoping for a breakthrough in 2026 with the fully overhauled regulations, but they seem to have fallen short once again as Mercedes emerged with the best package.

Ferrari's SF-26 seems to be a handy machine in corners and can deliver lightning starts off the line with its small turbo, which means Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton can challenge for race leads despite not starting on the front row.

But compared to Mercedes' W17, the SF-26 needs work, and this is what Ferrari will be focusing on during the unexpected April break F1 has gone on following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix due to the war in the Middle East.

Leclerc hopes Ferrari can catch Mercedes in 2026, and if not, as soon as possible. He added: "I hope our time will come soon.

"Because it's been a long time since I started, and obviously time has passed. I'm doing my best, and I hope our time will come this year or as soon as possible," the 28-year-old concluded.

Ferrari has featured on the podium in all three races so far in 2026. Leclerc delivering third places in Melbourne and Suzuka. Hamilton was third in Shanghai. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)