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’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. Lewis Hamilton called this a “distraction” on Thursday.
On Friday, in Washington D.C., 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.
“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 that we were a little behind trying to recover in the sprint qualifying and 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 need 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.“The second part of the season hasn’t been easy, with unfounded noise and rumors surrounding the team,” he said. “I think that showing that in those kinds of situations we can stay focused on the work and be rewarded with a podium is a very pleasant feeling.”
Charles Leclerc
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.”“I definitely feel better in the car,” said Hamilton. “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
