Charles Leclerc has delivered a powerful defence of Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur during the media day in Malaysia, making clear both his professional confidence in the Frenchman and the strength of their personal relationship.
With speculation surrounding Vasseur intensifying in recent days, the Monegasque driver took a firm position at Sepang. The situation around the Ferrari team principal had become increasingly uncertain following Christian Horner’s self-candidacy and the disappointing results recorded by the Scuderia over the previous few weeks.
Charles Leclerc gives Fred Vasseur his full support
Ferrari had already issued an official communication to the media the previous day, reaffirming Fred Vasseur’s position with the team. One day later, Charles Leclerc added an emphatic personal defence of the current team principal.
His comments to the media at Sepang did not appear to be a routine statement. Instead, the Ferrari driver adopted a particularly firm and heartfelt tone. In terms of emphasis, his remarks were notably different from the more conventional comments made by Lewis Hamilton at the end of the Baku weekend.
Charles Leclerc was extremely assertive when explaining his position and also highlighted the personal connection he has developed with Fred Vasseur alongside their professional relationship.
“I have always said how much confidence I have in Fred and how important he is for the team,” Ferrari’s number 16 explained. “We have a very special relationship, but beyond that, I think he is extremely competent at what he does. I think he has been incredibly valuable so far and will be just as valuable in the years to come.”
Leclerc says Ferrari never doubted Vasseur internally
Asked about Ferrari’s official statement, Charles Leclerc made clear that there had been no internal uncertainty over the support enjoyed by the French team principal.
“Ferrari’s official statement? I don’t think there have ever been any doubts within the team that he had all of our support,” Leclerc added. “But sometimes it is necessary to make that clear to the outside world as well. I just wish there were fewer absurd rumours going around.”
The speculation surrounding Ferrari’s management has also been fuelled by discussion over a potential route to Maranello for Christian Horner, adding another layer of attention around Vasseur’s position during a difficult period for the team.
Charles Leclerc criticises impact of Ferrari rumours
Charles Leclerc also returned to a familiar criticism of the media environment surrounding Ferrari, arguing that constant speculation can distract the team from the work that actually matters.
“By definition, you end up not spending time on the things that are really important,” Charles Leclerc explained. “At the factory, we need everything and everyone pushing in the same direction. If rumours like these are circulating, you end up spending more time talking about them, which is not pleasant.”
The Monegasque stressed that Vasseur and the rest of Ferrari are already pushing themselves to the limit, making the repeated speculation particularly frustrating from his perspective.
“Fred, just like all of us in the team, pushes himself to the limit, and I find it a little disrespectful to see so many rumours,” Leclerc concluded. “Accepting criticism is part of our job, but when news like this is constantly being spread, I think at a certain point it becomes disrespectful.”
For Ferrari, the focus now turns back towards its work on track, with Leclerc making his position on Vasseur unmistakably clear: the team principal continues to have his full confidence and, in the driver’s view, remains a highly valuable figure for the Scuderia.
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