Leclerc Seeks to Silence Criticism at Ferrari After 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 amid rumors that Vasseur could be replaced by former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner next year. 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 secured a podium amid the rumors and speculation.

Charles Leclerc took third place, behind winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Lando Norris. The United States Grand Prix is his sixth podium of the season.

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The second part of the season has not been easy, with noise and completely unfounded rumors about the team. I think that showing 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

Leclerc also commented on the problems with the gearbox on Friday and the team’s performance in qualifying and the race.

I am very happy. I am very happy because obviously we had the gearbox problem [during Friday’s practice], which cost us a few laps, which meant that we were a bit behind trying to catch up in the sprint qualifying and the sprint race.

Charles Leclerc

Ferrari hasn’t had a winless season since 2021, but despite the podium boost on Sunday, Leclerc doubts a win in the last five races of 2025 is possible.

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

Leclerc added that he would be surprised if they could achieve something better by the end of the year, and that they will take each race as it comes. Similarly, Lewis Hamilton said that the performance is “in the right direction”, but the team needs more consistency.

I definitely feel better in the car. And I will definitely immerse myself in the coming 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

Hamilton added that the goal is to secure second place in the constructors’ championship.