Charles Leclerc expressed that he and Lewis Hamilton are “speaking from our hearts” with the support the two have voiced to Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur in Formula 1.
Ferrari’s campaign not delivering close to the expectation that the team would be serious title challengers has prompted persistent rumours about Vasseur’s position.
Despite the Frenchman agreeing a new deal, the speculation has continued to swirl amid claims that ex-Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has been contacted.
Ferrari chairman John Elkann moved to quash the reports with a public statement last weekend, where he voiced his faith in the work ongoing under Vasseur’s watch.
Elkann’s backing echoed the sentiment Leclerc and Hamilton have maintained, the duo’s relationship with Vasseur long pre-dating the existing collaboration at Ferrari.
And Leclerc has insisted that the Ferrari drivers remain on the same page when it comes to believing that Vasseur is the right man to lead the side to a championship.
“I think we are speaking from our hearts and what we think is right,” Leclerc told media including Motorsport Week in Mexico.
“I think it’s very important to say that all these rumours are unfounded, and in those cases, it’s not like we speak about those rumours together with Lewis.
“But we both are completely aligned and we both know Fred since many years and we both trust that Fred is the right person in order to bring Ferrari back to the top.
“For that we are very much aligned, so we didn’t have to speak about it.”
Leclerc urges Ferrari to continue ignoring external noise
The speculation surrounding Vasseur has coincided with whispers that Leclerc will consider his options should Ferrari not provide him with a competitive car in 2026.
Leclerc admitted that he is no stranger to the headlines that Ferrari attracts, as he stressed that the team must continue to avoid giving much notice to external noise.
“It’s the way it is. I’ve been with the team since 2019 now and I know that these kind of rumours are always being blown out of proportion,” the Monegasque added.
“Is this something I enjoy? No, of course not. I don’t think anybody enjoys it in the team. We’d rather just focus on what’s most important for us, but it’s the way it is.
“I think Ferrari is very special because whenever we do something good it’s blown up out of proportion into something incredible.
“But that also is true for the opposite and that makes it more difficult I think to manage these ups and downs when you drive for a team like Ferrari.
“But it’s also what makes it special and we need to make sure that these kind of things don’t affect us.
“And I don’t think it did because, again, we’ve had a great weekend in Austin considering everything that was going on around the team.
“It’s not easy, but we’ve done a good job as a team to do that and we need to keep on doing that.”
READ MORE – Fred Vasseur reveals motive behind public Ferrari F1 backing
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