F1 Star Charles Leclerc Addresses Rumors He's Fed Up With Ferrari & Is Looking to Leave the Team
Charles Leclerc is responding to recent rumors about his feelings on being with Scuderia Ferrari HP.
The 27-year-old Monegasque Formula 1 driver has been with the team since 2019 and is currently signed through 2029, making his the longest contract in the history of the team.
Recently, after Ferrari hasn’t had the best start to the season, though they are currently second in the constructor’s championship, there have been rumors that Charles is looking to leave the team next year and that he is frustrated with the team’s performance.
While speaking to press on media day ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix on Thursday (June 12), he addressed the rumors.
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“I’m very surprised. I mean, I have no idea from where it’s coming from,” he said, via Motorsport. “So, I’ll rather just ignore it. But I’ve never said anything of this in the last few races. If anything, I keep saying how much I love the team and how much I want to bring back Ferrari to the top. I was just surprised.”
“We have a vision that we share, us three – Fred [Vasseur, team principal], Lewis [Hamilton] and myself, in order to try and get back to winning. And we’ve been working to put that all together. And so, yeah, this is for sure our plan. And I think we should stick to it.”
Charles‘ teammate Lewis also addressed the frustrations about the team’s performance and reiterated his support for team principal Fred Vasseur.
“It’s definitely not nice to hear that there’s stories like that out there,” he said, via Formula1.com. “Firstly I love working with Fred – Fred’s the main reason I’m in this team and got the opportunity to be here, for which I’m forever grateful for, and we’re in this together.”
“We’re working hard in the background, things aren’t perfect but, for me, I’m here to work with the team but also with Fred – I want Fred here. I do believe Fred is the person to take us to the top, so that’s that. So it’s all nonsense,” Lewis added of rumors/calls for Fred to be replaced.
“Most people don’t know what’s going on in the background,” he continued. “It isn’t all easy, it’s not like it’s all the smoothest sailing in the background – we are having to make changes and there is a lot of work to do, and there is naturally a lot of pressure because we want to win, but that’s not any part of the discussion at moment.”
Charles and Lewis are set to hit the track for Free Practice 1 and 2 on Friday (June 13), with a third practice and qualifying on Saturday (June 14), and the 2025 Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix du Canada taking place on Sunday (June 15) at 2pm ET/PT.
If you missed it, the 2026 Formula 1 schedule was just revealed this week!