The Thursday in Austin coincided with Charles Leclerc’s twenty-eighth birthday, and the Monegasque driver hoped to give himself a nice gift over the Texan weekend. Ferrari’s current situation doesn’t allow for big expectations, but the hope of securing a strong result—helped by the Sprint format of the United States Grand Prix—remains alive more than ever.
Leclerc: “The Sprint weekend is an opportunity”
So far, the SF-25 has held its own during the three Sprint weekends completed this season. Memories naturally go to China, where Lewis Hamilton claimed pole and victory, but there’s also the example of Spa, where Leclerc finished fourth in the short race before finishing third on Sunday. It is these precedents that the Ferrari driver referred to while speaking to Sky Sport F1: “The Sprint weekend is always an opportunity, but with opportunities come risks, because if you start on the wrong foot, it can be an uphill battle. I’m confident, however, because we have generally had solid Sprint weekends.”
The SF-25 has often shown promise by starting weekends with strong performances during Friday practice sessions. This can be helpful in a weekend where the Sprint Qualifying is the second session on track: “The team is very good at preparing the car and putting it on track at roughly the right window,” Charles Leclerc added. “After that, it will obviously depend on our car’s overall performance compared to the others. We know that at the moment we are slightly behind, but I will do everything I can.”
The rumors around Ferrari
Ferrari has appeared to struggle behind the advances of Red Bull and Mercedes, who have taken the last three wins. These disappointing results have reignited rumors about the Maranello team—a topic addressed by Charles Leclerc after Lewis Hamilton dismissed them as “distractions” during a press conference held shortly before in Austin: “It’s a fairly difficult moment because there are so many things around the team that I don’t understand where they come from,” said Charles Leclerc. “I’m talking about rumors regarding Horner, but not only that, I mean in general. There are thousands, I don’t know, they’re not based on anything, and that’s the tricky part. So I hope for a good weekend for the team so that these things can be forgotten. We focus on what’s essential, but it’s never pleasant to show up, avoid social media, and then be asked questions where you no longer understand anything because you don’t know where they came from.”
Leclerc also dispelled speculation regarding his potential interest in other teams: “There’s a lot of speculation about me, but also about the team in general, for some reason. I feel that too many people say things that aren’t based on facts. And that’s a bit annoying. I’m in love with Ferrari, I want to win with the team, and we are all pushing to be ready when the new technical cycle starts next year. So as far as I’m concerned, there is only Ferrari. I’ve always made that very clear. I love the team, I’ve always loved Ferrari… I want to win with Ferrari. So this is my priority at the moment.”
The difficult season: Charles Leclerc’s admission
Speaking to Canal+, Charles Leclerc also reflected on Ferrari’s disappointing season, assuring that the team is still doing everything possible to improve results: “No one is satisfied. Sometimes I see or hear people say there isn’t enough reaction. When I see what’s happening within the team, I can assure you that there are major reactions trying to get back to winning.”
At the Circuit of the Americas, one year ago, Charles Leclerc and Ferrari achieved their last Grand Prix victory: “As Ferrari, we are all aware that it is not possible, and it is unacceptable, to be in a situation where we haven’t won for a year,” the Monegasque added. He concluded with an honest admission regarding the SF-25’s weaknesses: “This year, the reality is that we are not up to par.”
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