Charles Leclerc is determined to put an end to the negative rumors that have plagued Ferrari in recent weeks. Amid a relatively lackluster season – in which the Scuderia has yet to win a single Grand Prix – speculation has been rife about a possible exit of the Monegasque, the performance of Lewis Hamilton, and even an alleged deal with Christian Horner. After securing a podium finish in Austin, Leclerc strongly dismissed all the noise.
Behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Leclerc secured third place at the American GP on Sunday. Afterwards, he acknowledged the challenges Ferrari has faced recently, but at the same time, he wanted to put an end to the persistent rumors surrounding the team. In the FIA press conference, he emphasized that Ferrari will not be distracted by speculation.
‘Staying Focused’
“I am very happy,” said Leclerc about his sixth podium of 2025. “In the free practice, we had gearbox problems, which cost us a few laps. As a result, we were a bit behind the rest. We tried to make up for that in the sprint qualification and the sprint race, and made a few minor adjustments later. As a result, we performed much better. Today was a very good race for us – a positive development, especially considering the second half of the season has been quite challenging so far.”
Leclerc then directly addressed all the rumors surrounding Ferrari. “There are completely unfounded stories and rumors about the team,” he stated. “It’s nice that we can show that we stay focused on our work in such circumstances and are rewarded with a podium.” The Monegasque was referring, among other things, to the pressure surrounding team boss Frédéric Vasseur. Although the Frenchman recently signed a new multi-year contract and Ferrari CEO John Elkann has publicly expressed his support, rumors of a possible return of Christian Horner to Maranello continue to persist.
