Charles Leclerc ‘completely behind’ Frederic Vasseur and sure that he is making the ‘right choices’ at Ferrari

Charles Leclerc trusts. and is completely behind Frederic Vasseur, who he thinks is just 'starting this process' at Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc ‘completely behind’ Frederic Vasseur and sure that he is making the ‘right choices’ at Ferrari

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur (L) | Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc

At the end of last season, Mattia Binotto was shown the exit door from Ferrari. He had worked at the company for 28 years in various capacities, mainly in the engine department. It came after a disappointing season, with many feeling that the results had not matched the potential of the F1-75. There was a lot of other criticism, mainly in the strategy and reliability departments. Frederic Vasseur was brought in as his replacement, with a good relationship with Charles Leclerc considered an added bonus.

The pair have worked together twice before: Once, when Leclerc was at ART Grand Prix in GP3, and won the championship. The second time was when he was at Sauber, in 2018, his debut Formula 1 season. Vasseur was then Sauber’s team principal. Now, they’re both at Ferrari – the most iconic team of the sport, but also the one that is under the most pressure. The job of the Ferrari team principal has even been compared to a ‘poisoned chalice’.

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But Leclerc and Sainz have both emphasized their trust in Vasseur to do the job. Speaking about this as per F1.com, the Monegasque said: “Well, I think he’s [Vasseur] just starting this process now. Until now he was basically trying to analyze the situation as quickly as possible in order to do the best changes possible for the future.” There have been some key changes at Ferrari, with the most notable one being Inaki Rueda being moved back to the factory.

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Read More: Charles Leclerc reckons Frederic Vasseur is the ‘right person’ to lead Ferrari as he cites a ‘different approach’ from Mattia Binotto

Charles Leclerc trusts Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur fully

Charles Leclerc (L) | Frederic Vasseur (R)
Charles Leclerc (L) | Frederic Vasseur (R)

Now that he’s better settled in with the team, Frederic Vasseur will looking to make even more changes. Charles Leclerc thinks the ‘big part’ of the Frenchman’s job comes now: “So yeah, I think the big part of the job will be done from now on – so we will see. Obviously, I speak a lot with Fréd and I know what are his middle and long term plans for the team, and I’m completely behind him and I trust him fully.”

The Monegasque also made it clear that he trusts his team principal: “So I’m sure these are the right choices, and it goes in the right direction for the team. So, for that, I’m looking forward to it. But yeah, let’s wait and see.” Vasseur is in the hottest seat in Formula 1, and all’s not right. There is a bit of an organizational mess, and multiple departures – Laurent Mekies and David Sanchez. Then there’s the on-track problems.

The Ferrari SF-23 is not as competitive as was hoped. Moreover, it’s got quite a temper, and finding the right setup is very hard. The (appropriately-named) Prancing Horses have made some progress with this, but there’s still a long way to go, especially on the race pace front. Their goal for the season was to fight for, and win, the world title. As it stands, they have a fight for P2 on their hand – with Aston Martin and Mercedes.

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