Charles Leclerc isn’t sugarcoating it: overtaking looks like a real challenge under the new regulations, and the cost of trying is way higher than before.

Max Verstappen kicked off the complaints about the rules, since now so much depends on how well drivers handle their battery levels. The big change is the 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and the battery. That’s forced drivers to rethink everything; they’re saving battery instead of just going flat out for speed.

We’ve just come out of an era where ground effect cars made overtaking tough because of all the dirty air, and honestly, it doesn’t sound like things are getting any easier. No one’s raced for points yet, but after testing in Bahrain, the mood in the paddock isn’t exactly upbeat.

Esteban Ocon was quick to sound the alarm. After following a few cars in testing, he noticed he lost a lot of front grip, maybe even more than last year. He tried the overtake mode but didn’t want to jump to conclusions too soon. Still, his gut feeling? Passing looks tough.

Leclerc agrees. He says he’s on the same page as the other drivers. Right now, overtaking is extremely hard. Maybe with time, as everyone learns how to manage these situations, it’ll get better. But at the moment, every overtake comes at a much steeper battery cost than before. That means even if you pull off a move, getting away from the car behind isn’t as simple as it was last year. It’s just tricky.

When asked about the new rules overall, Leclerc isn’t quite as downbeat as Verstappen, but he admits something’s missing. He’s always loved the aggressive, attacking style of the older F1 cars, and he feels like there’s less of that now. The changes are huge; everything feels completely different from what he’s known in his career. But he does see progress. The cars are getting better, and everyone’s still learning, trying to figure out all the new systems and how to squeeze out the best performance. There’s a lot of work ahead, but things are moving in the right direction.

McLaren’s driver duo, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, rolled into Bahrain for testing, but things didn’t exactly click for them, especially for Piastri. While Norris seemed to find his rhythm a bit quicker, Piastri struggled with the car, especially when it came to braking and getting back on the throttle.

Missing out on last year’s title to his own teammate stung. Now, Piastri’s locked in on a comeback. He’s heading into his fourth season in Formula 1, and he’s already seen just about everything, fighting at the back, clawing his way up, and even battling for wins.

Some changes are happening behind the scenes, too. Mark Webber, who’s been a familiar face in Piastri’s corner, is stepping back a little. Apparently, Piastri wants to keep things calm in his camp: less drama, more focus.

But none of that matters if the results aren’t there. And right now, he’s got a real fight on his hands if he wants to keep pace with Norris.

At the Bahrain test, Piastri looked like he was wrestling the McLaren MCL40 more than Norris was. Reports say both drivers had their own headaches with the new car, but Piastri’s issues stood out. The car just didn’t want to behave for him, especially under braking, with the front wheels locking up at turn ten and the rear tyres snapping out at high speed. It was messy.

For a guy with nine Grand Prix wins, consistency was the big problem. Sometimes Piastri had to run wider lines than usual; sometimes he’d be fighting the car as it oversteered. It just wasn’t clicking.

Ever since last season’s title loss, people have been watching him. They want to see if the 24-year-old can bounce back. He knows he needs to adapt to the new rules, but he’s also pinpointed a couple of tracks, Mexico City and Austin, where he really needs to step up. Last year, those races went badly for him, and that slump played a big part in missing the title.

And then there’s all the talk about his future. After last year’s tense battle inside McLaren, rumours started swirling that Piastri might be looking elsewhere. Even after the off-season, those rumours haven’t faded.

A lot of folks see him as the perfect replacement for Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin if Alonso decides to retire. Alonso hinted that 2026 might be his last year, but with him, you never really know.