Charles Leclerc has expressed his satisfaction with having Frédéric Vasseur at the helm of Scuderia Ferrari, praising the team principal’s ability to manage emotions and maintain clarity amid external pressure. The Monegasque driver also evaluated the technical progress made by the team, while admitting that the Hungaroring continues to pose a challenge for his driving style.
Leclerc enters the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend following a solid run of results—four podium finishes in the last six races, including his most recent at Spa-Francorchamps. Despite this positive trend, the 27-year-old Ferrari driver remains grounded. He knows that it’s not yet time to aim too high, but feels confident that the team is on the right path.
“The only variable that’s not going in the desired direction is the Hungaroring,” Leclerc explained. “Simply put, this track hasn’t given me much satisfaction in the past. It’s probably down to my driving style. I have to work a bit harder here than at other circuits, but that’s okay.”
Managing Expectations Ahead of Budapest
Charles Leclerc is determined not to raise expectations prematurely, even with Ferrari’s upward momentum.
“We’ve had four podiums in the last six race weekends, but I don’t think we’re at a level where we can consider ourselves the second-strongest team on the grid,” he said. “We’re working toward that goal, and the steps forward are in the right direction. The recent updates have definitely helped us, but when it comes to this weekend, I’m not so sure. For me personally, this is by far the worst track of the season. I obviously hope to break that trend and finally have a good weekend here in Budapest.”
His lack of connection with the Hungarian circuit is particularly curious, considering that the layout bears similarities to Monaco, where he typically excels.
“Maybe I miss the walls,” Leclerc said with a smile. “I don’t know what it is, but I’m still confident that we can have a strong weekend. We’ll see how it goes.”
Positive Form and a Drive for More
Despite his reservations about Hungary, Charles Leclerc acknowledged that he is in good form overall.
“I’m very happy with how things are going,” he said. “But I don’t want to say it’s my best form, because I want to win. Overall, I’m really pleased with my performance, but there’s always room to improve. For example, my weekend at Silverstone was disappointing.”
He then turned his attention to the technical upgrades introduced by Ferrari, which have significantly improved the SF-25’s handling and consistency.
“The updates have been a step in the right direction and have made things a bit easier for both me and Lewis [Hamilton]. The first part of the season was extremely difficult—we had to fine-tune the car to the extreme, which led to more mistakes. Now, we’re in a more reasonable setup window, and it’s encouraging to see the results. But thinking we can catch McLaren is another matter. Right now, I don’t think there are any tracks where we can realistically expect to be the favorites—though of course, I hope to be surprised.”
Praise for Frédéric Vasseur’s Contract Renewal
Charles Leclerc also shared his reaction to the news of Frédéric Vasseur’s contract extension with Ferrari, highlighting the importance of stability and leadership as Formula 1 prepares for major regulation changes in the near future.
“I’m really, really happy,” he said. “Over the past month there were a lot of rumors, as there always are around Ferrari. So finally having the official news is important, and I’m very pleased. Fred has an incredible vision. What’s especially difficult at Ferrari is managing the emotions that become part of daily work. Italians are very passionate about Ferrari, and that’s what makes this team so special.”
He continued, “Fred really knows how to set emotions aside and keep a clear view of where we are, no matter how much noise there is around the team. That’s extremely important. On top of that, he has many other qualities—one of them is his ability to get the best out of every single person. And when you put all of that together, it makes a big difference.”
The Value of Stability for Ferrari’s Future
Charles Leclerc concluded by stressing the importance of long-term stability at Ferrari, especially as the sport prepares to enter a new technical era in 2026.
“I believe stability is always very important,” he said. “Having Fred leading the team for many more years is definitely a positive thing. In Formula 1, it takes time to build something—especially if you want to create a winning team. I’m very happy about it. Knowing I’ll have Fred by my side for more years makes me optimistic about the future.”
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