Charles Leclerc’s former Ferrari race engineer opens up about his time with Monegasque driver. Xavi Marcos opens up about his time with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc, as told by someone who knows him well: Xavi Marcos, former race engineer at Ferrari, is confident that he is ready to win an F1 championship. The Spaniard, now the technical director of Cadillac LMDh, reflected on his years at the Prancing Horse. He joined Maranello in 2018 and worked alongside Charles Leclerc until the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, when he was replaced by Bryan Bozzi.

With 2025 approaching and just days before pre-season testing in Bahrain, there is a sense that this could be a major opportunity for Ferrari. The new car left a good impression on the engineers after its first filming day at Fiorano. The Sakhir circuit will provide a clearer picture of the competitive order, but the feeling is that Maranello could be closely matched with McLaren.

Dreaming big is no longer off-limits. With a driver pairing like Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the final piece of the puzzle is the car itself. While the British driver has nothing to prove in terms of mental strength in a title fight, the Monegasque could find himself in an unprecedented situation. However, his former race engineer has full confidence in his abilities.

Xavi on Leclerc: “A victory for Leclerc and Ferrari would be special”

The relationship between Xavi Marcos and Charles Leclerc began in 2019, the year Charles Leclerc moved from Sauber to Ferrari. In a very short time, the Monegasque was already comfortable with the SF90, as Marcos recounted in an interview with PitDebrief.com. Much of the early work focused on learning as much as possible from Sebastian Vettel, then the veteran at Maranello.

“[Charles Leclerc] is able to concentrate deeply every time he is in the car, and once he understands his limit, he focuses on that particular aspect and improves even further,” explained the Spaniard. “I believe he is ready [to fight for the title]. He was ready even before [2025]. Then, it’s always a combination of driver, car, and team. It’s never easy.”

“We had good and bad moments together, but that’s part of life. [My departure] was a bit sudden, but it’s part of my responsibilities and the job I was given, and that’s just how it is. No regrets, decisions are decisions.”