Charles Leclerc has forcefully dismissed recent speculation suggesting he may be considering a departure from Ferrari, firmly reaffirming his long-term commitment to the Scuderia ahead of the 2025 F1 Canadian GP. The rumours, which emerged from sections of the Italian media, proposed that the Monegasque driver could be weighing up options beyond Maranello, citing an alleged exit clause in his contract. However, while speaking to media ahead of the Canadian GP, Leclerc expressed astonishment at the claims and reiterated his loyalty to the team.
“I am very surprised. I mean, I have no idea from where it’s coming from,” said Leclerc. “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.”
Mixed start to 2025 fuels speculation
Ferrari entered the 2025 season with high hopes, aiming to build on its late-season momentum from 2024. Nevertheless, the start has fallen short of expectations. With only three grand prix podium finishes thus far and a solitary sprint race win—achieved by new teammate Lewis Hamilton in China—the team has struggled to consistently challenge the front-runners.
Consequently, questions have surfaced not only about Leclerc’s future but also about the stability of Frederic Vasseur’s leadership as team principal. Despite this, Leclerc remained resolute, highlighting the collective ambition within the team.
“We have a vision that we share, us three – Fred, Lewis 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,” he explained.
Credit to McLaren’s unexpected leap
In assessing Ferrari’s underwhelming form in the 2025 F1 season, Leclerc acknowledged the rapid progress of McLaren, who have emerged as the unexpected benchmark in 2025. He pointed out that while Ferrari and other top teams have been caught off guard, McLaren’s development gains have been both impressive and unexpected.
“I think none of us are satisfied with how it’s going at the moment. That’s clear,” Leclerc said. “We came into the season thinking that we had chances to challenge McLaren and Red Bull in order to win the championship. That has not been the case so far.”
“However, it’s fair also to say that I do not think many people understood, apart from McLaren, like… they’ve done a huge step forward compared to last year. A lot more than anybody else.”
The search for performance continues
Indeed, Ferrari’s season has been characterised by average qualifying performances offset by more solid race pace. Nonetheless, Leclerc insisted that the team remains focused on identifying the key performance factors that have propelled McLaren to the front.
“I think McLaren is doing an outstanding job. We are absolutely not happy in the situation we are in at the moment. However, I feel like we just need to find ourselves as well, just like Mercedes, just like Red Bull.”
“We need to find the outstanding thing that McLaren have found,” he added.
Internal pressure greater than external noise
While external pressure mounts, Leclerc revealed that it pales in comparison to the expectations already set within the team for the 2025 F1 season. Ferrari, he insisted, understands the weight of its legacy and the need to return to winning ways.
“We are already putting ourselves under a lot of pressure. Then, of course, there are some talks that it’s not something that you want to hear. But the pressure is normal to have it,” he remarked.
“When you are working for Ferrari, second is never good enough. But we are all aware of it. So it’s not like the outside pressure is having any influence on the pressure that we put ourselves first. We want to be winning. And as I keep saying, it’s not good enough.”
“But I’m not the only one to say that. All the team knows that it’s not good enough and that Ferrari should be winning. And that’s what we are putting all our efforts into, is to try and bring Ferrari back to the top.”
Eyes still fixed on the top step
As Ferrari regroups and refines its 2025 campaign, Leclerc’s unwavering support could prove pivotal in the team’s push to reclaim its status as a front-running force in F1. Despite the early-season setbacks, the unity within Ferrari’s driver line-up and leadership remains intact, with the collective objective still clear: to return the Prancing Horse to the top step of the podium
