Leclerc Seeks to Silence Criticism at Ferrari After Podium Finish in US GP.

Leclerc Seeks to Silence Rumors with Podium Finish at US GP

AUSTIN, Texas – Charles Leclerc hopes his podium finish at the United States Grand Prix will quiet speculation about the future of Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur. Ferrari’s season has been disappointing, with no grand prix victories and only six podium finishes in 19 races this year. The race weekend in Austin began amid rumors that Vasseur could be replaced by former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner next year. Lewis Hamilton called this a “distraction”. Ferrari CEO John Elkann felt the need to reiterate his support for his team principal, despite having signed a new contract with Vasseur less than three months ago. Leclerc, speaking on Sunday night, said Ferrari could be proud to have achieved a podium amid the rumors and speculation.

Legend: Charles Leclerc achieved third place, behind winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Lando Norris. The US Grand Prix is his sixth podium of the season. (Peter Fox/Getty Images)

“The second part of the season hasn’t been easy, with unfounded noise and rumors surrounding the team. I think proving that in those types of situations we can stay focused on the work and be rewarded with a podium is a really nice feeling”.

Charles Leclerc

“I am very happy. I am very happy because obviously we had the problem with the gearbox [during Friday’s practice], which cost us a few laps, which meant we were a bit behind trying to recover in the sprint qualifying and the sprint race.” “And then, in qualifying, we made some adjustments, we found a lot more performance, and today was a very good race for us.” Ferrari hasn’t had a winless season since 2021, but despite the podium boost on Sunday, Leclerc doubts a win is possible in the last five races of 2025.

“I still want to believe that we can win a race before the end of the season, but then again, I think we have to be realistic about our situation. And I don’t think we have the car to do it. I think this weekend has been the perfect weekend for the team”.

Charles Leclerc

“I would be surprised if we can achieve something better by the end of the year. We will take it race by race and see what can be done.” Similarly, Lewis Hamilton said that the performance “is going in the right direction”, but the team needs more consistency.

“I definitely feel better in the car. And I will definitely immerse myself in these next few days, I will try to figure out how we can extract more from the car. Put the car in a slightly better place, but overall, pretty decent. The team did a great job today”.

Lewis Hamilton

Added: “We need consistency, if I can finish there, or even get a podium at some point, just finishing ahead of the Mercedes, that’s our goal. If I can help the team secure second place in the constructors’ championship, that would be a good end to the year.”