Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari can no longer explain its deficit to Formula 1’s leading teams through the power unit alone. Ahead of the weekend at Sepang, the Monegasque acknowledged that the Scuderia remains down on power but warned that its rivals have also made significant advances with their chassis and aerodynamics, leaving Ferrari with work to do in virtually every area.
The Italian team will introduce some new components in Malaysia, although Charles Leclerc has played down expectations of a dramatic transformation. He also offered another emphatic defence of Fred Vasseur, arguing that the continued speculation surrounding the Ferrari team principal has begun to become disrespectful and can create unnecessary distractions inside the organisation.
Charles Leclerc gives Fred Vasseur his full support
Charles Leclerc’s confidence in Fred Vasseur remains unchanged despite the speculation that has surrounded the French manager’s future over recent weeks. The Ferrari driver stressed not only how important he considers the team principal to the Scuderia’s future, but also the effect that repeated rumours can have on the people working inside the team.
“I have always said how much I trust Fred and how important he is for the team,” Charles Leclerc explained at Sepang. “We have a very special relationship, but beyond that I think he is extremely capable at his job. He has been very valuable so far and I am convinced he will continue to be in the years ahead.”
The Monegasque identified people management as one of Fred Vasseur’s greatest qualities, describing it as a crucial skill for anyone occupying the role of Formula 1 team principal.
“I think his best quality is knowing how to manage people, and that is exactly what you need to be good at when you have that role. He knows which words to use and, above all, he knows what conditions to put someone in to get the maximum out of them. That is why I think he is so important for the team.”
Ferrari rumours are creating an unwanted distraction
Ferrari recently reiterated its full public confidence in the team principal. Charles Leclerc welcomed that intervention while making clear that, internally, there had never been uncertainty over Fred Vasseur’s position.
“I don’t think there has ever been any doubt inside the team that Fred has all of our support. Sometimes, though, it is necessary to make that clear to the outside world as well. For me it does not change much because I know what the situation is inside the team, and that is the most important thing.”
He then added: “I just wish that sometimes there were fewer of these stupid rumours.”
Like Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc has tried to distance himself from much of the noise surrounding Ferrari. The Monegasque explained that he has removed social media from his daily routine, meaning he is less directly exposed to speculation, although he knows that the effect is unavoidable in an organisation employing hundreds of people.
“Personally, I have removed everything related to social media, so I don’t see much of what happens around us. Obviously, though, you hear what is being said and many people inside the team know what is going on. It certainly isn’t positive for the calmness of the team.”
For the Ferrari driver, the issue is not purely emotional. The discussion generated by repeated speculation can take attention away from the work that should be absorbing the team’s energy.
“By definition, you end up spending time talking about the wrong things. At the factory we need everything and everyone pushing in the same direction. If these kinds of rumours are around, maybe you spend a little more time talking about them, and that is not pleasant.”
Charles Leclerc did not attempt to quantify how much such an atmosphere might affect performance, but he was clear that it offers no benefit.
“I don’t think it is something you can evaluate in black and white. It is difficult to quantify the effects, but it certainly does not help. And honestly, it is not nice to see certain things.”
His strongest criticism concerned what he regards as a lack of respect towards people already working at their limit.
“We are all trying to do our best, Fred first of all. Everyone inside the team is pushing to the limit and I find it a little disrespectful to see so many rumours circulating. Accepting criticism is part of our job, but when certain things are continually spread, I think at some point they become disrespectful.”
Charles Leclerc says Ferrari’s problem is no longer only the engine
The Monegasque then turned to Ferrari’s technical situation and offered a broader assessment of the SF-26’s current limitations. The power-unit deficit remains a problem, but he no longer believes the engine alone can explain the gap to the leading opposition.
“I firmly believe that, yes, we have a power deficit compared with our rivals, but by now you cannot reduce everything to that. On the chassis and aerodynamics side, the others are also catching up, and recently they have brought significant upgrades that have made them very strong in the corners as well. We need to improve on every front.”
The concern reflects what Ferrari has experienced over the latest races. Mercedes remains the benchmark, while Red Bull and McLaren have made progress that has altered the competitive picture. The broader question over Ferrari’s position after Azerbaijan was already highlighted by the analysis of what Baku exposed about the SF-26.
Tyres remain another major Ferrari priority
Tyre management is another area where Ferrari still needs to improve, although Charles Leclerc does not believe the difficulties of getting the 2026 tyres to work consistently are unique to the Scuderia.
“This season’s tyres are very difficult for everyone to understand. There are weekends when some teams suffer drops that are difficult to explain simply through the characteristics of the cars. The cars are much more complicated to optimise than in the past, but I think getting the tyres into the correct window has also become much more difficult.”
For that reason, tyres remain an important development priority without becoming the only focus.
“We need to improve on every front. The tyres are a priority in themselves simply because it is very, very difficult to get them into the correct window.”
The way the compounds behave across longer runs can also be followed through the F1 Tyre & Stint Analysis, particularly relevant at Sepang where thermal degradation and tyre management are expected to play an important role.
Ferrari brings new SF-26 parts to Sepang but expects no revolution
Ferrari will introduce several new elements during the Malaysian weekend. However, Charles Leclerc has deliberately lowered expectations, stressing that they should be viewed as incremental developments rather than a package capable of radically changing the competitiveness of the SF-26.
“We have a few things coming. I don’t think they will be fundamental changes capable of revolutionising our performance or our pace, but they will definitely be small steps in the right direction, and that is what we need.”
The developments form part of a wider effort to improve the car, with Ferrari preparing new SF-26 components for the Sepang weekend. Further technical work also targets areas including the floor, diffuser and active-wing hydraulics.
Charles Leclerc pointed directly to the development work carried out by Ferrari’s rivals as an example of the incremental progress the Scuderia now needs to reproduce.
“That is what McLaren has done and it is what Red Bull has also done recently. We will have to see Mercedes, because I have heard they are bringing quite an important package this weekend and it will be interesting to watch.”
Sepang should suit Ferrari better than Baku
On paper, Sepang should provide a more favourable environment for Ferrari than Baku, particularly because the Malaysian circuit places less emphasis on the exceptionally long straights that exposed the SF-26’s limitations in Azerbaijan. However, Charles Leclerc does not expect the underlying competitive order to change dramatically.
“I think this track should be a little more positive compared with Baku, where there were very long straights. But the picture has not changed much in the last few races: Mercedes is clearly ahead, while McLaren and Red Bull have made a significant step.”
Ferrari’s immediate objective is therefore to use its new parts to reduce the gap to Red Bull and McLaren rather than expecting to challenge Mercedes immediately.
“We will have some new things on the car and hopefully they can help us stay ahead of Red Bull and McLaren. However, I don’t think they will be enough to allow us to fight with Mercedes.”
For Ferrari, Sepang will therefore provide another measure of whether incremental improvements to the SF-26 can begin closing a deficit that Charles Leclerc now believes extends well beyond power-unit performance alone.
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