Leclerc deleted social media apps to block out negativity before Silverstone win

Charles Leclerc deleted every social media app from his phone during the toughest stretch of his 2026 Formula 1 season, the Ferrari driver revealed on the Beyond The Grid podcast, describing the move as essential to protecting his focus and performance.

The Monegasque had endured a bruising run of results heading into the summer. A late-race accident at his home grand prix in Monaco ended any hopes of a strong showing on a circuit that appeared well-suited to the Ferrari. Things deteriorated further in Barcelona, where Leclerc suffered hydraulic, gearbox and brake problems and a poor qualifying result, while team-mate Lewis Hamilton claimed his first victory with the Scuderia.

“It was a very important one because it came into a moment of the season where there were lots of negativity around,” Leclerc said. “And when it’s like this, it’s always more difficult to perform. I think many drivers are trying to hide or deny the fact that you are not affected or that you are completely isolated from the noise around. But you cannot be.”

Leclerc was candid about the limits of mental isolation, acknowledging that media day obligations on Thursdays mean drivers are inevitably exposed to critical questions regardless of how carefully they manage their off-track environment. Cutting out social media, he explained, was a way of controlling what he could.

“In those very difficult moments, I had no social media on my phone. I didn’t want to hear about anything. The only thing I wanted to care about was the performance in the car, my feeling in the car, trying to improve that,” he said.

The approach appeared to pay off. Leclerc subsequently won at Silverstone, a result that eased the pressure on both himself and a Ferrari team that has long operated under intense scrutiny. The Scuderia faced a significant wave of criticism in 2025 following the high-profile arrival of Hamilton, before form improved markedly at the start of the 2026 campaign.

Leclerc’s admission adds to a growing conversation in elite sport about how athletes manage the psychological weight of public criticism in the social media era, with several high-profile figures across disciplines having spoken about stepping back from platforms during periods of poor form.