Leclerc crashed out of third place at his home race after a late safety car restart, with the Ferrari driver later blaming a recurring braking issue that he said had affected him across the last two race weekends.
The Monegasque was heavily critical of the issue after the race, describing the situation as a major concern after struggling with brake inconsistency when temperatures were low.
His comments prompted a public response from Ferrari brake partner Brembo, but Leclerc did not back away from his assessment when asked in Barcelona whether his view had changed after reviewing what happened.
“No, but yeah, again, I don’t want to speak too much about what happened,” he said.
“I rarely speak quickly, but if I do, it’s because I’ve checked beforehand, so I don’t have much to add.”
‘I look like an idiot’: Leclerc slams brake failure after Monaco crash
Leclerc confirmed he will now follow the brake direction Hamilton has been using, after Ferrari had previously split its approach between the two cars.
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The change is believed to centre on the brake discs rather than Ferrari’s full braking system, with Leclerc set to trial a Carbone Industrie specification while Brembo continues to supply other key components to the team.
The decision comes after Hamilton revealed both Ferrari drivers tried his configuration earlier in the season, only for Leclerc to remain with the setup he had been using at the time.
“It was a decision that we made as a team to kind of split the cars, and the last two weekends have been more difficult than I initially anticipated,” Leclerc said.
The is aimed at giving Leclerc more consistency and confidence under braking.
The issue has become apparent under the 2026 regulations, as greater energy recovery means the brakes are not always worked as consistently as in previous seasons.
Leclerc said he would not go into detail on the specific changes, but made clear Ferrari had to respond after the problems that impacted his Monaco race.
“The last two weekends have been very tough for me,” he said.
“To go more into the detail is tricky for me… I don’t think it’s going to be a revolution, but in certain times of the race I will expect a change.”
Leclerc admitted the Monaco retirement remained painful, particularly given it came at his home race while he was on course for a podium finish.
“Monaco hurts, but it’s the way it is now. I cannot change that anymore and I’ve got to look forward,” he said.
While he hopes the change will help him regain confidence, he downplayed expectations for Barcelona.
“I think realistically Mercedes still remain the benchmark,” Leclerc said.
“I think Mercedes will still be extremely strong. Red Bull were strong in Monaco, so it’s not like we are the only ones making progress.
“I’m sure that other teams are also pushing in order to do just that. I don’t have much expectation for this weekend, just because I don’t want to have any.
“The best thing we can do is focus on ourselves and try to maximise everything.”
Leclerc’s first retirement of 2026 in Monaco dropped him to fourth in the drivers’ standings, 81 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
2026 F1 Barcelona Grand Prix – Schedule, how to watch, TV times & more
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