Charles Leclerc highlights ‘out of proportion’ Ferrari reaction

Charles Leclerc has admitted that rumours swirling around the future of team boss Fred Vasseur are to be expected, given what Ferrari is but that the reaction to the team is often out of proportion.

Last week, Vasseur received public support from chairman John Elkann amid continued suggestions he’s on the outer at Maranello.

Charles Leclerc reaffirms support for Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur

Vasseur has recently inked a new deal with Ferrari in a move that, briefly, silenced his critics.

The Scuderia is in the midst of an extended dry spell, having not won a Drivers’ crown since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, and the Constructors’ Championship since 2008. That near two-decade drought is reminiscent of the spell endured in the wake of Jody Scheckter’s 1979 title (and 1982 Constructors’ crown).

A brighter F1 2024 raised expectations for this year, as did the arrival of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. However, the squad’s performances have fallen short, leading to pressure on the team, and most notably Vasseur.

That prompted Elkann to express his public support for the Frenchman, a move Leclerc felt was a shame in some respects.

“It’s the way it is,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media.

“I’ve been with the team since 2019 now, and I know that these kinds of rumours are always being blown out of proportion.

“Is this something I enjoy? No, of course not. I don’t think anybody enjoys it in the team, and we would rather just focus on what’s most important for us. But is the way it is.”

As the sport’s oldest team, Ferrari is synonymous with both Formula 1 and Italy.

More on Ferrari from PlanetF1.com

?Memo to Ferrari: Give Charles Leclerc a title-winning car – he’s ready

?‘Revolutionary’ Ferrari engine in development as ‘top secret’ 2026 details emerge – report

In many regards, it is the country’s national team, which brings with it a significant weight of expectation. It is also under far greater scrutiny than any other team.

“Whenever we do something good, it’s blown up out of proportion into something incredible, but that also is true for the opposite,” Leclerc offered.

“That makes it more difficult, I think, to manage these ups and downs when you drive for a team like Ferrari, but it’s also what makes it special.

“We need to make sure that these kinds of things doesn’t affect us,” he added of the speculation surrounding Vasseur.

“I don’t think it did, because again, we’ve had a great weekend in Austin; considering everything that was going around the team, it’s not easy, but we’ve done a good job as a team to do that, and we need to keep on doing that.”

Amid the Vasseur rumours, Christian Horner’s name has been floated as a potential successor.

The Englishman was sidelined by Red Bull following the British Grand Prix, and recently severed ties with the organisation such that he’ll be free to return to the F1 paddock during F1 2026.

A world championship-winning team principal, on paper Horner presents a strong case as a replacement, should one be deemed necessary.

It would not be the first time the Scuderia has pursued him, having had its efforts rebuffed prior to the appointment of Vasseur.

While such a move makes a degree of sense for Ferrari, it would also need a similar level of interest from Horner. That is not thought to exist.

Horner’s ambitions appear somewhere above a returning as team principal in a different coloured shirt.

After two decades in charge at Red Bull, it’s believed he is looking for a stake in an organisation – if not complete ownership with suggestions he’s looking to create an all-new team.

For their part, Ferrari drivers Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton have been public in their support for Vasseur, a point they feel accurately reflects their attitudes.

“We are speaking from our hearts and what we think is right,” Leclerc explained.

“But again, I think it’s very important to say that, I mean these, all these rumours, are very unfounded.

“In those cases, it’s not like we kind of speak about those rumours together with Lewis, and that’s why we probably didn’t speak about it.

“But we both are completely aligned, and we both know Fred since many, many years, and we both trust that Fred is the right person in order to bring Ferrari back to the top.”

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

Read next: Minor Aston Martin cost cap breach revealed as rival faces ‘substantial’ infraction