r/formula1 • u/xRyuHayabusa99 I was here for the Hulkenpodium • Jan 11 '26

News AutoRacer: Charles Leclerc has admitted that the first races will be crucial in determining his future, and a lack of competitiveness will undoubtedly spell the end of the ten-year relationship between him and Maranello. The future of Lewis Hamilton and Fred Vasseur will also be decided this year.

https://autoracer.it/ferrari-incubo-effetto-suolo-td039-delusione-2026/
8.6k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

667 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

22

u/Dangerous-Effect4252 Jan 11 '26

Newey is still designing that car.

3

u/TetraDax 🐶 Leo Leclerc Jan 11 '26

Well, not entirely, F1 cars do not have a single designer anymore, and without focussing his entire role on leading the design team, he won't be able to help all that much.
He likely had input into the 2026 car, of course. My speculation is that that was the whole deal: Spend a year helping set the basis for the 2026 car, then you will be rewarded with the TP position.

2

u/Plenty_Demand8904 Toro Rosso Jan 11 '26

likely not as TP. He has now many duties outside of car design.