Leclerc reaffirms faith in Ferrari amid performance struggles

Written by Kavi Khandelwal

Charles Leclerc is celebrating his 28th birthday with a mix of pragmatism about Ferrari's current standing and a passionate reaffirmation of his long-term commitment to the team.

Credit: Formula One

Despite winning last year's United States Grand Prix, the Monegasque driver admits the team is on the "back foot" compared to its rivals heading into the Austin weekend.

The Ferrari driver did not sound confident when asked about his chances of repeating his previous victory. He was candid about the Scuderia's current performance deficit relative to the front-runners in Formula One.

Leclerc said: "At the moment we are on the back foot compared to Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren in terms of overall performance".

However, he suggested the weekend's format, which limits setup changes, could present a unique chance to outperform their machinery. "But on a weekend like this where there are less opportunity to change the set-up and to fine-tune, there might be the opportunity to do something special".

While his short-term expectations are measured, Leclerc's long-term vision remains crystal clear. Despite the recent rumours swirling around a potential team change post 2027, he took the opportunity to emphatically state that his desire to win with Ferrari is unchanged.

"I've made it very clear. My opinion is that I love the team and I've always loved Ferrari and I want to win again with Ferrari and that doesn't really change," Leclerc stated.

He stressed the importance of trusting the team's project as the foundation for success, making it clear where his priorities lie. "Whenever you are in a team, you've got to trust the project to be able to give your best but I love Ferrari and I've always been extremely grateful to them and I want to win in red. That is my main priority at the moment".