Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia: “Stupid and disrespectful”

Ten drivers have already competed in Grands Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, but Charles Leclerc is not one of them. The nine-time Grand Prix winner was in Malaysia in 2017, but only took part in the first practice session as a Friday driver in the Sauber-Ferrari.

The 28-year-old Leclerc says: “That’s not much use to me. I remember that the first part of the session took place on a wet track, then the track dried out. But I can’t remember much else.”

On the subject of competitiveness, Leclerc says: “Sepang should be a little better for us than Baku, where our power deficit was noticeable on the long straights. But Mercedes have an upgrade on their car here, so the gap to them is unlikely to narrow much. McLaren and Red Bull Racing have made good progress, whilst we, on the other hand, have fallen a little behind. I expect roughly the same pecking order as at the last few Grand Prix weekends.”

A major talking point surrounding Ferrari is the speculation about team principal Fred Vasseur and a possible successor, as well as the confirmation from the company’s management that the Frenchman enjoys their full confidence.

Leclerc comments: “There’s been a lot of unrest, mostly across social media. I largely shut myself off from that, so I didn’t notice much of the commotion. But many Ferrari staff members naturally come across this sort of thing, and that’s not good. Ultimately, we have no control over what’s written about us. It’s best to concentrate on our own work.”

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“Internally, it was always clear that we’re backing Fred Vasseur; nothing has changed in that regard. Externally, however, a different picture emerged, so we have to point that out every now and then. But I do sometimes wish there were a bit fewer silly rumours.”

“We’re all trying to do our best here. It’s also fine when well-founded criticism is voiced. But I find it a bit disrespectful when rumours are simply put out there that only cause unrest and don’t help anyone.”

“I’ve known and held Fred in high regard for many years; we have a special relationship. His strength lies in his ability to deal with people; he finds the right words, and through his leadership style, he manages to bring out the best in people. That’s why he’s so important to Ferrari.”