Ferrari Chief Admits To Frustrations Behind The Scenes But Has Faith In Charles Leclerc

Leclerc isn't going anywhere, says Fred Vasseur.

Fred Vasseur, the Ferrari team boss, has dismissed speculations that Charles Leclerc will leave for Mercedes once his contract expires in 2025. Leclerc is  rumoured to be in talks with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to replace Lewis Hamilton as the team's number one driver, but the Frenchman has assured fans that Leclerc is part of the team which is being built around him, despite frustrations behind the scenes. 

Vasseur believes there's still ample time to negotiate an extended contract with Leclerc. The Monégasque driver is currently contracted with Ferrari for over a year, and Vasseur insists that there's no rush to re-sign him.

“No, I told you [before] that we will do it in the course of the season,” he told the press. “He’s under contract with us for more than one year [from] now, and we have time to discuss it.

“And I’m not scared at all, and I think it’s not the right moment to do it.”

Ferrari is struggling to match the pace of the likes of Red Bull and Aston Martin so far this season, but the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has shone some light on the team with Leclerc taking pole for both the sprint and the Grand Prix. Vasseur, who is hoping to maintain this pace with upgrades coming over the next races, admits that his drivers are crucial to the team's success while adding that they are all frustrated.

I like it,” he told The Race. “Honestly, we had the discussion and for me the frustration is positive.

“He’s clearly part of the project, you know? He’s not a spectator of this.

“He’s involved in the development of the team, he’s part of the development because he’s developing himself. He’s a performance contributor, on track and out of the track. And as long as he will play this role, we are on a good path.

“It’s true in every single team that you are always building a team around the driver. If you have a look over the last 20 years, or even more, all the successful stories in F1, [they] took time but it was always a team built up around someone, a driver.

“It’s true with Lewis [Hamilton] with Mercedes, but it was true before with Michael [Schumacher] at Ferrari, it was true with [Fernando] Alonso at Renault, it was true everywhere – and Red Bull. You can find tonnes of examples.

“For sure Charles is an important pillar of the performance and he has to play the role, in the car, outside of the car, to be a performance contributor. And he is fully supportive of this part of the job and I’m fully convinced that it’s also a personal commitment from him.”

While Leclerc may be entertaining the idea of a move to Mercedes, Vasseur is obviously confident that he will remain with Ferrari in the long run. With his talent and dedication, Ferrari can be assured that they have a valuable asset in Leclerc for the future.