Charles Leclerc has removed every social‑media app from his phone to stop the “silly rumours” swirling around Ferrari’s team principal Fred Vasseur from affecting the garage.
After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Leclerc admitted that chatter had rattled the ordinary calm the squad usually enjoys. During media day before the Bahrain Grand Prix in Bahrain, he told reporters he had “taken off everything that is social media” in order to avoid the spread of gossip, although he acknowledged that the rumors still “inevitably have an impact on the team.”
Leclerc’s comment highlighted how external speculation can undermine team serenity, yet he emphasised that the group still had “little control” over the rumours. He added that the crew learns “what is going on around” and that “many people from the team know what’s going around,” a situation the driver said was “not good for the serenity of the team.”
In the same interview, the driver stressed his trust in Vasseur. “I’ve always said how much I trust Fred and how important he is for the team,” Leclerc explained. “We have a very special relationship, but other than that, he’s extremely capable in what he does… we’ll keep benefiting from him for years to come.”
Ferrari’s management quickly echoed Leclerc’s support. A statement issued by the outfit clarified that “there was never any doubt inside the team that Vasseur has all of our support.” The governing body reiterated that the “team’s confidence in him [Vasseur] remains unshaken,” and that any public reassurance was a “necessary gesture to clarify the outside world,” not an internal concern.
Leclerc also lamented the excess of rumors, saying he wished “there were less of these silly rumours going around.” The driver concluded that while rumours might be unavoidable, the focus must remain on maximizing results, hinting that the crew will channel its energies into the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix.
With the distraction easing, the Ferrari camp will re‑centre its efforts on strategy and performance. The driver’s decisive steps, combined with the team’s explicit backing of Vasseur, suggest that the next races will shift away from external chatter and back to racing metrics alone.
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