Overview
- Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished third in the Japanese Grand Prix, securing his second podium of the 2026 season.
- He retook George Russell into Turn 1 after a lap‑50 move at the final chicane left the Mercedes short on usable battery boost.
- Autosport reported that Ferrari deployed energy earlier out of the hairpin and Spoon to open a gap and force Mercedes to spend more on the chase.
- Under the 2026 rules, an overtaking mode can keep deploying even after a brief lift, which can drain the battery and set up an immediate counter‑pass on the next straight.
- Leclerc’s race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, praised the move on team radio with “due palle d’acciaio,” as reported by SportsTak.