Fred Vasseur on why he allows Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to vent to the media. Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur explains why he accepts driver criticism on TV.

Vasseur on driver criticism

Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur has explained why he accepts the criticism his drivers direct at the team during TV interviews. He added: “They must maintain the same attitude during debriefs, and that is very important.”

Throughout 2025, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton delivered quite pointed comments to the television networks, reflecting the performance struggles of the SF-25, which fell well short of initial expectations.

At the end of the season, Fred Vasseur spoke about how he managed and processed the feedback from his drivers over the year, especially the statements made on the main television channels covering the Formula 1 circus.

“I don’t focus on their reactions in the TV press zone,” said the French team principal. “Honestly, even their reactions sometimes on the microphone, in the car, on the radio. In the media zone, they are there for just five minutes after getting out of the car. Sometimes they get negative results by a few tenths, and you ask them questions, which I can understand, sometimes the driver is a bit emotional. And you think, OK, yes, no… then you want to get back to the truck, to the engineering office, and discuss with the engineer to understand why.”

“Honestly, the most important thing for me is to have a driver who comes back to us and pushes the team to do better work. And to work together to try to achieve better results. The fact that sometimes they are emotional on the radio… it depends on the driver,” he added.

Fred Vasseur mainly referred to the attitude Charles Leclerc shows to the press, especially immediately after leaving the cockpit of his Ferrari.

“You all know this perfectly well, Charles is always a bit critical—first with himself, then with the team, and with everyone else. But it’s always in a positive dynamic. I’ve known Charles for many years, and he has always been like this. He always complained about everything. But it’s a positive dynamic, we are there to just do a better job.”

“And it doesn’t matter if you’re fourth, third, or first. The DNA is to do a better job. I accept that perfectly. And the most important thing for me is that they maintain the same approach in the debriefs—trying to get a better car, a better team, everything better. That is how we will improve.”

As the team shifts its focus to the 2026 regulations, Fred Vasseur’s management style highlights a modern approach to Ferrari’s historically high-pressure environment. By allowing Leclerc and Hamilton the freedom to be “emotional” in the media, he is fostering a culture where honesty is valued over corporate optics, provided that honesty leads to a faster car on Sunday. This psychological management will be key as the Scuderia attempts to bridge the final gap to the front of the grid.