Ferrari boss highlights dual nature of Charles Leclerc’s “horrible” comments after British GP

Charles Leclerc is known for his self-critical nature in the F1 paddock, as the racing sphere saw a repeat of such attitude at the qualifying for the British GP, after he shared an expletive radio message. This led many to raise questions about his demeanour, as Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur reasoned how his driver's "horrible" qualifying evaluation was both a boon and a bane for the latter.

The 27-year-old made his debut on the F1 grid in 2018 and has since climbed up the ladder of success in the sport. He moved from Alfa Romeo (now Sauber) to Ferrari just in his sophomore year and was a contender for the drivers' title in 2022.

However, over the years, he has been able to muster eight race wins, and his frustration behind the wheel of an F1 car has grown, leading to multiple radio outbursts. But, a particular trend has often followed with such anger-charged messages, as the Monegasque more often than not blames himself for any torrid result, as one such instance came to light after the qualifying for the British GP (via Formula 1):

"Horrible. Nothing really to say, I think the pace was there for the front row but I eventually didn’t do the job when I needed to."

This has brought some resemblance to Lando Norris' self-critical nature about his driving in the F1 paddock. Though many might reckon it as a clear sign of weakness, Vasseur argues that it helps the driver share accountability and that it's human nature, as he said:

"For probably 10 years or so, one of the qualities of Charles is that he is able to blame himself, and one of the faults of Charles is sometimes he’s blaming himself a bit too much! As a team, I appreciate a lot the fact that drivers can say, ‘Okay, my mistake’ – this is positive, because it's not bringing the team in the wrong direction and they are human."

"They are doing mistakes as everybody [does], and it’s good to have the drivers able to say this."

On the other hand, Charles Leclerc had a subpar British GP weekend.

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The British GP result was an anomaly for Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc at the 2025 F1 British Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Charles Leclerc had been outqualified by Lewis Hamilton for the British GP, as he started sixth, but hoped to take his usual routine of getting through the grid to bring in a solid result for the team. However, this normalcy was broken at the Silverstone Circuit, as instead of moving up the road, the 27-year-old moved down the field and ultimately finished 14th.

Sharing his disappointment after a torrid race weekend, the Ferrari driver claimed the 2025 British GP to be his most difficult race of his career, as he said (via Formula 1):

"One of the most difficult races for me, if not the most difficult race of my career. I just struggled to keep the car on track from the first lap to the last lap... I think there’s something that we’ve got to look at."

Charles Leclerc sits fifth in the interim drivers' standings and has a 28-point deficit to George Russell, who is fourth on the list.