Leclerc Seeks Podium to Silence Criticism at Ferrari, US F1

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 silence speculation about the future of Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur. Ferrari has had a disappointing season, with no grand prix wins and only six podiums in 19 races this year. The race weekend in Austin began amidst rumors that Vasseur could be replaced by former Red Bull team principal 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 Vasseur to a new contract less than three months ago. Speaking on Sunday evening, Leclerc said that Ferrari could be proud to have achieved a podium finish amidst the rumors and speculation.

“The second part of the season hasn’t been easy, with unfounded noise and rumors surrounding the team. I think showing that in those types of situations we can stay focused on the work and be rewarded with a podium is a very pleasant 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 catch up in the sprint qualifying and in the sprint race. “And then, in the classification, we made some adjustments, we found much 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,” he said. “And I don’t think we have the car to do it. I think this weekend has been the perfect weekend for the team.” “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,” said Hamilton. “And I’m definitely going to dive in over the next few days, 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 is our goal. If I can help the team secure second place in the constructors’ championship, that would be a good end to the year.”