In a recent interview, Charles Leclerc discussed the impact of Frederic Vasseur taking over as the head of Ferrari and how it influenced his decision to commit his long-term future to the Formula 1 team. Leclerc has been affiliated with Ferrari since 2016 and has been a driver for their F1 team for the past five seasons, achieving five victories during that time. Despite his success, Ferrari’s inability to provide a competitive car has prevented Leclerc from contending for the championship. Nevertheless, Leclerc has chosen to extend his contract with Ferrari, with the sole objective of bringing title success back to the team based in Maranello.
During the interview, Leclerc emphasized his commitment to Ferrari, stating that his career goal is to win a championship with the team. He expressed his love for Ferrari and his determination to do whatever it takes to achieve the ultimate goal. However, he refrained from discussing the specific details of his contract or his plans for the future, as he had just signed the new agreement.
In the past, Leclerc had experienced frustration under the leadership of Mattia Binotto in 2022, as various mistakes hindered his chances of winning the championship. Binotto departed at the end of the season, making way for Frederic Vasseur to take over. Vasseur, who founded the ART Grand Prix team that Leclerc won the GP3 title with in 2016, was also in charge of the Sauber-owned team when Leclerc made his F1 debut in 2018. This reunion with Vasseur seems to have rejuvenated Leclerc’s confidence and belief in the team’s potential for success.
However, despite experiencing a challenging season last year that fell short of expectations, Leclerc has been impressed with Vasseur’s strategies to revive Ferrari’s struggling fortunes.
“I have had numerous discussions with Fred and I fully support his long-term and medium-term vision for the team,” he added. “This has also given me confidence in the future of the project.
“However, delving into the specifics of how things have changed is more complex as Fred has introduced a different working method, with numerous distinctive aspects. It is simply a different approach to work. Fred is extremely clear about his goals and the instructions he provides to the team, which is a positive aspect.”
While Leclerc refrained from comparing Binotto and Vasseur’s management styles, he praised the latter’s ability to ignore the external noise often associated with Ferrari.
“Without drawing direct comparisons between the past and present, one admirable aspect of Fred is that he does not pay much attention to the external discussions surrounding the team. He remains highly focused on what needs to be accomplished within the team,” he explained.
“He is direct and to the point, and I appreciate this way of working.”
