Ferrari Facing Internal Turmoil as Charles Leclerc Evaluates Future Amid Mercedes Interest
Scuderia Ferrari’s hopes for a title challenge in the 2025 Formula 1 season are rapidly unraveling, with mounting pressure on team principal Fred Vasseur and growing uncertainty surrounding Charles Leclerc’s long-term commitment to the Maranello team. Amid strategic missteps, underwhelming performance, and internal friction, the Maranello-based team finds itself battling crisis after crisis as its campaign continues to spiral.
The team had entered 2025 with high expectations, buoyed by a promising 2024 campaign in which they narrowly missed out on the constructors’ championship—falling short by just 14 points to McLaren—and strengthened by the high-profile arrival of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. However, just ten races into the new season, Ferrari sits a staggering 191 points behind McLaren, and optimism has been replaced by concern.
On the drivers’ side, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are struggling to make an impact. Heading into the Austrian Grand Prix, the pair sit only fifth and sixth in the championship standings, with the Monegasque accumulating 104 points and the Briton trailing with just 79. To make matters worse, Ferrari remains the only one of Formula 1’s top four teams yet to secure a Grand Prix victory this season.
Fred Vasseur’s Position at Risk as Ferrari’s Crisis Deepens
With Ferrari underperforming across the board, scrutiny is now intensifying around Fred Vasseur’s role. His current contract expires at the end of 2025, and sources within the paddock suggest his position may not be secure if results fail to improve. Tensions within the team are reportedly high, with concerns growing over the Scuderia’s apparent lack of urgency and direction. Charles Leclerc has been left particularly disillusioned, allegedly astonished by what he perceives as a collective resignation at Ferrari regarding their 2025 championship prospects.
As pressure mounts, Ferrari’s leadership is not only fighting to stabilize the team’s immediate performance but also working to retain the loyalty of their top driver. Charles Leclerc, who is under contract until 2029, is rumored to be reconsidering his long-term future with the Italian marque, especially amid growing interest from rival outfit Mercedes.
Ferrari Determined to Retain Leclerc Despite Mercedes Interest
Reports from Motorsport-Magazin suggest that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff remains an admirer of Charles Leclerc’s talent and could view him as a potential successor to George Russell, whose contract is set to expire after the 2025 season. While Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari contract—reportedly worth £25 million annually—runs through the end of the decade, it contains performance-related release clauses that could offer a potential exit route if he becomes disillusioned with Ferrari’s progress.
In response, Ferrari is said to be prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to retain the Monegasque driver. The team is reportedly willing to make sweeping internal changes to accommodate Charles Leclerc’s preferences, a testament to the power and influence he holds within the organization. It has been noted that few drivers on the grid enjoy a similar level of authority within their respective teams.
Indeed, Fred Vasseur’s appointment in December 2022—following the departure of Mattia Binotto—was widely seen as a move orchestrated in part to appease Charles Leclerc, who had lost faith in the previous leadership. The current situation echoes that moment, as Ferrari again finds itself facing the possibility of significant internal restructuring to keep their star driver satisfied.
Leclerc Aware His Championship Window May Be Closing
Charles Leclerc’s growing frustrations appear rooted in Ferrari’s continued inability to deliver a car capable of sustained title contention. After a strong showing in 2022, where he secured runner-up status in the drivers’ championship but still finished 146 points behind Max Verstappen, the dream of claiming his first world title has remained elusive.
The gap has only widened since. In 2024, the Ferrari man ended the season 81 points behind the Dutchman, and now, following the opening 10 rounds of 2025, he finds himself trailing Oscar Piastri by 94 points. His standout performances this year—a second-place finish at his home race in Monaco, alongside third places in Saudi Arabia and Spain—have provided little consolation amid Ferrari’s broader struggles.
Further evidence of his discontent has been captured over team radio communications. Most recently, during the Canadian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s strategy decisions. Although he had reportedly preferred a one-stop approach, Ferrari’s data later indicated that such a plan would not have improved his race outcome. Nevertheless, the friction highlights the ongoing disconnect between driver and team.
As Ferrari fights to keep its season alive, the stakes surrounding the Monegasque driver’s future continue to rise. With interest from Mercedes looming and internal instability persisting, the Scuderia faces the very real prospect of losing the driver they once envisioned as the cornerstone of their next championship campaign.
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