Charles Leclerc: “The criticism always comes from the same people”
Charles Leclerc has addressed the growing criticism surrounding his recent performances, insisting that negative comments are simply part of life as a Ferrari driver and that the loudest critics tend to be the same individuals every time results fail to meet expectations.
After a difficult run of races compared to the impressive standard he set earlier in the 2026 Formula 1 season, the Monegasque driver has found himself increasingly under the spotlight. While Lewis Hamilton had been the primary focus of criticism earlier in the campaign following his high-profile arrival at Ferrari, the attention has recently shifted towards Charles Leclerc after a series of disappointing weekends.
Charles Leclerc remains his own toughest critic
As Ferrari fans have come to learn over the years, perhaps nobody judges Charles Leclerc more harshly than Charles Leclerc himself. The Monegasque has repeatedly accepted responsibility whenever mistakes have occurred, often speaking openly about his own performances and holding himself to exceptionally high standards.
That self-critical attitude has become one of the defining characteristics of Charles Leclerc’s personality. Both supporters and members of the Formula 1 paddock have frequently praised his willingness to admit errors rather than searching for excuses, while the Ferrari driver himself has discussed this mindset on several occasions during interviews throughout his career.
Nevertheless, Formula 1 is a sport where opinions can change remarkably quickly. Following Ferrari’s recent struggles, several commentators who had previously questioned Lewis Hamilton’s performances have now redirected their criticism towards Charles Leclerc instead.
Charles Leclerc responds to critics with composure
Among the strongest opinions expressed in recent days were those of 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who argued that Charles Leclerc had failed to build the Ferrari team around himself over the years in the same way Lewis Hamilton has traditionally done during his career.
Asked about the tendency in Formula 1 to swing rapidly from celebrating drivers as heroes to heavily criticising them after difficult results, Charles Leclerc offered a calm and measured response during Thursday’s media activities in Austria.
“There are always rumours and gossip going around, but the criticism always comes from the same people and it’s simply part of this job,” Charles Leclerc said during an interview with Belgian broadcaster RTBF.
The Ferrari driver acknowledged that competing for the most famous team in Formula 1 naturally brings greater attention and higher expectations than racing elsewhere on the grid.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be a Ferrari driver and a Formula 1 driver, and that also means there will be more criticism,” Charles Leclerc continued. “I think it’s perfectly normal for people to criticise when things aren’t going well.”
Despite the recent scrutiny, Charles Leclerc made it clear that his focus remains firmly on improving his performances rather than responding to outside opinions. The 2026 season has already shown what he is capable of when everything comes together, and the Monegasque is determined to return to the level of competitiveness he demonstrated during the opening races of the championship.
“I hope to get back to the kind of performances I was producing at the beginning of the season, and I’m working very hard to make sure everything starts going the way I want it to,” Charles Leclerc concluded.
With several important races still to come and Ferrari continuing to develop the SF-26 throughout the campaign, Charles Leclerc remains focused on letting his performances on the track provide the strongest possible response to his critics. As history has often shown in Formula 1, momentum can change quickly, and the Ferrari driver is determined to put recent disappointments behind him and fight once again at the front of the grid.
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