Charles Leclerc has looked to reaffirm his commitment to Ferrari during ongoing speculation about his future with the Italian team.
After a string of disappointing results on track this season, having suffered two DNFs out of five races, Leclerc is thought to be disgruntled at Ferrari, potentially looking for a new seat on the grid.
With Carlos Sainz in P5 in the Drivers’ Standings on 44 points and Leclerc in P7 on 34 points, far behind title-leader Max Verstappen’s 119, Ferrari looks unlikely to secure its first Drivers’ title since 2007.
The Constructors’ Standings is even more painful for Ferrari, as they find themselves in P4 on 78 points, 146 points behind Red Bull.
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Despite this challenging situation, heading into the first race in Ferrari’s home nation, Leclerc is seeking to put rumours to bed by declaring his allegiance to the Tifosi going forward.
“I want to win, and I want it to be in red,” Leclerc told The Athletic.
“This is clear, and I am not happy about the performance we’ve been giving in the last few years, it’s not been so consistent.
“There was quite a lot of expectation for this year, and at the end, we are seeing that we’re not as competitive as what we want.
“But looking back at it, trying to analyse it with [team boss Frederic Vasseur], with the team, we understood a few things.
“I have a bit more of a clearer picture of why we are where we are now.”
Ferrari is looking to revive its performance after throwing away a title shot in 2022 due to poor strategy calls.
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Mattia Binotto took the blame for the team’s disappointing season, being replaced on the pitwall by Fred Vasseur.
Vasseur’s appointment could help to retain Leclerc when his contract expires next year, as the French team principal helped guide the Monegasque to his first on-track victory in Formula 1 during their pairing at Alfa Romeo.
Vasseur accepted that Leclerc will be disappointed by the failure to fight for a title so far this season but remains optimistic the duo can secure a title together.