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Ferrari star Charles Leclerc currently sits fifth in the championship on 104 points. The Monegasque has been on the podium thrice while Lewis Hamilton hasn't finished higher than P4. Amid the turmoil at Ferrari and with the rumor mill churning, Leclerc has come out and detailed the intense pressure at the Maranello-based team.
Ferrari is a name synonymous with success in racing. However, the Scuderia hasn't won a single championship in F1 since the 2008 season. Frederic Vasseur was brought in after the 2022 season to change that and get Ferrari back to winning ways. But that has not been the case, with rumors about the Team Principal’s exit recently circling the paddock.
Reports have claimed that the next three races, starting in Canada, were crucial for the Frenchman’s future at the team. At the same time, rumors of Lewis Hamilton's early exit from Ferrari also came out after his frustration at the Spanish GP. Speculation about Charles Leclerc's future also followed.
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The Italian team hasn't won a single race this season, while the other top teams have managed to win. George Russell won the Canadian GP and put Mercedes on the map of race winners. Amid all this, Charles Leclerc came out ahead of the Canadian GP and suggested that the rumors didn't help, as Ferrari was already under a lot of pressure.
Charles Leclerc finished P2 at the Spanish GP as he detailed how second place isn't good enough at Ferrari. He said (via Pit Debrief):
“I mean, we are already putting ourselves under a lot of pressure. Then, of course, there are some talks that it’s not something that you want to hear. But the pressure is normal to have it when you are working for Ferrari. Second is never good enough, but we are all aware of it. So it’s not like the outside pressure is having any influence on the pressure that we put [on] ourselves first.”
“We want to be winning, and as I keep saying, it’s not good enough. But I’m not the only one to say that. All the team knows that it’s not good enough and that Ferrari should be winning, and that’s what we are putting all our efforts into, is to try and bring Ferrari back to the top,” added Charles Leclerc.
Fred Vasseur on rumors around Charles Leclerc's Ferrari future
The rumors surrounding Charles Leclerc's Ferrari future appeared soon after the Fred Vasseur speculation. The Monegasque was questioned about the same at the Canadian GP, and rubbished all reports. Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur also came out and shared his take on the rumors, as he said:
“Every single interview from the beginning of the season, he’s telling that he wants to stay with Ferrari. He wants to win with Ferrari. His future is with Ferrari. But every single Monday, we have an article telling that, 'Charles will go next year', 'Charles will…' At one stage, I don’t know what we have to do. I’m sorry - I can’t repeat every single weekend the same things. But it is like it is.”
Lewis Hamilton also came out at the Canadian GP and denied the reports about his exit, while also showcasing support for Fred Vasseur and the Team Principal’s vision.
