Charles Leclerc: “Fred Vasseur isn’t afraid to tell me when I’m wrong”. Charles Leclerc praised the very balanced approach of his team principal, Fred Vasseur.

The highs and lows
Since donning the red suit of Ferrari (since 2019), Charles Leclerc has continuously experienced an emotional rollercoaster, oscillating between incredible highs – such as 24 pole positions and 6 victories – and decidedly negative moments. Fans of the Prancing Horse have come to know him well and understand how harsh the Monegasque can be towards himself and the team when things go wrong.

“Being self-critical in Formula 1 is very important because you find yourself in a situation and position where people tend to agree with you most of the time,” Charles Leclerc admitted honestly in an interview with the BBC, revealing that he is very harsh to balance the often too accommodating atmosphere that drivers find around them.

Fred Vasseur’s role
This is where Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur plays a significant role in helping Charles Leclerc maintain a balance between positivity and negativity: “In a team like ours, the passion is so high that in happy moments there’s overwhelming emotion, but also very intense negative feelings when we’re going through tough times. In Formula 1, it’s necessary to be as emotionally calm as possible, and Fred tries to give us that balance.” – the Monegasque driver pointed out.

Charles Leclerc continued: “Every time we have very difficult moments, he helps us return to a reasonable level and not be too disappointed. And so when we win, he helps us not get too excited and keeps us grounded.” The Monegasque concluded ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix: “I have a great relationship with Fred, and he’s certainly not afraid to tell me when I get something wrong or when he thinks I’m doing or saying something wrong. I consider him a very important person to have by my side.”