Fans, F1 pundits, and anyone who has watched the last two seasons of the sport have one thing to say: Charles Leclerc should leave Ferrari. Whether that means moving to Red Bull and replacing Sergio Perez, or to Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton himself- the rumor mill keeps churning. However, Fred Vasseur has had enough.
A lot has been said about Leclerc’s chances with Ferrari. After ending what can only be called a heartbreaking 2022 season in second place, 2023 was supposed to be the year he picked up where he left off- a title contender.
However, Ferrari has messed up his chances again, leading many to believe enough is enough. With Leclerc being unable to perform to his full capacity doors have been opened to Mercedes and Red Bull, with even Alpine finding themselves in the list of suitors.
Despite Leclerc making it clear that his loyalties run with the team in Red, it has far from silenced these resounding opinions. Now, Vasseur speaks.
Fred Vasseur makes a thunderous statement on behalf of Charles Leclerc
Since no one seems to listen to Leclerc’s confidence in his team, Vasseur steps up. When asked about people talking about Leclerc’s shift, Vasseur just had a simple statement in response: “Charles never said that.”
The Ferrari team principal added, “It is a journalist’s rant on a response where he is asked if he would be interested in Mercedes. He replied [not yet]. It’s crazy to turn these two words into [he wants to leave], isn’t it?”
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Clearly fed up with this bizarre storyline of his star driver looking to ditch the team, Vasseur also stated that he’s not blind to the situation. “He is disappointed with the performance and I would be disappointed in Charles if he wasn’t. Just as he is not happy with his performance either.”
Where do people think Leclerc will go?
While these stories have been spun since the beginning of the season, more recently, F1 journalist Peter Windsor was of the opinion that Leclerc could go to Alpine. A rather bizarre idea of leaving the legacy of the Prancing Horses, the pundit reasoned that the driver was now “unbelievably frustrated and very annoyed”.
Windsor stated, “He may even be thinking, ‘Alpine might be better than this lot in terms of my driving and doing what I know I can do. Look at them – top 10 every Q3 now’. He might be thinking like that. He might be that desperate.”
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This is only the tip of the iceberg. Before Alpine, it was Mercedes and Red Bull. While the latter seems a long shot and rather impossible, Mercedes has been the frontrunner in these rumors.
With Lewis Hamilton’s contract having reached a standstill, people have assumed that if the Mercedes champ decided to leave his team, the Monegasque would be the only worthy successor.
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Italian journalist Leo Turrini stated, “Leclerc talking to Mercedes is an open secret.” Although both Leclerc and Toto Wolff rubbished these claims, the idea had been sowed within the F1 community.
However, as both Vasseur and Leclerc repeat themselves, the driver’s spirit lies with Ferrari. All other discussions are moot in the face of Leclerc’s unwavering devotion to his team and his dream of lifting the championship trophy with the Scuderia Ferrari crest over his heart.
