Leclerc Seeks to Silence Rumors with Podium Finish at the US Grand Prix
Ferrari driver 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’s season has been disappointing, with no grand prix victories 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 a new contract with Vasseur less than three months ago.
John Elkann
Speaking on Sunday evening, Leclerc said that Ferrari could be proud to have achieved a podium finish amidst the rumors and speculation.Charles Leclerc took third place, behind winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Lando Norris. The US Grand Prix is his sixth podium of the season.Leclerc commented on the team’s situation during the season. “The second part of the season has not been easy, with noise and completely unfounded rumors surrounding 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 very pleasant feeling.”
“I am very happy. I am very happy because obviously we had the gearbox issue [during Friday practice], which cost us a few laps, which meant we were a bit behind trying to catch up in the sprint qualifying and the sprint race. And then, in qualifying, we made some adjustments, 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. I’ll be surprised if we can achieve something better until the end of the year. We’ll 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 will definitely delve into these 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.”
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, that would be a good end to the year.”
