Leclerc more worried by Ferrari on-track 'disaster' than off-track issues

Charles Leclerc says his "disaster" start to his 2023 campaign with Ferrari is a cause for concern, while he trusts Frederic Vasseur to deal with the multiple staff departures suffered by the team in the past month.

Ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it was confirmed that Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies will leave Maranello at some point this year to move to AlphaTauri where he will replace at the start of 2024 longstanding team principal Franz Tost at the helm of the Faenza-based squad.

The announcement of Mekies' departure has come in the wake of the resignation of his countryman, senior Ferrari engineer David Sanchez, who will join McLaren at the end of the season.

The disruptions at Ferrari will add another burden to Vasseur's efforts at a time when the team is seeking to boost its performance after a lackluster start to its 2023 season.

However, as far as Leclerc is concerned, the Monegasque is first and foremost worried about the latter rather than the former.

"Well, let's be honest, if we are speaking on-track, the performance is not where we want it to be the first part of the season. The first three races for me were a disaster," admitted Leclerc.

"But these three weeks I think it was good to reset, to look a little bit at the things where we can optimise the package that we have.

• Read also: Vasseur unfazed by Mekies departure – insists on 'power of the team'

"Then off-track, of course, there is a restructuring for the team and that's clear. We had a really good relationship with Laurent. But we all understand in the team that this opportunity is right to take, as it's a really good opportunity for him. So it's like this.

"But the team is more than one person. And yeah, I'm very confident for the future with Fred having what he has in mind. I'm really confident."

Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz have naturally been kept abreast of Vasseur's reorganization plans and of his vision of putting Ferrari back on its winning rails.

"I think he has been open with what he wants to achieve and the way he wants to achieve it," commented Leclerc.

"This gives me the confidence probably more than ever. So as much as obviously it's moving, I'm confident for the future.

"Considering the step that there is to make, it is a really big one," he added "On this, we are completely aware, and I'm the first one to be aware of it.

"But if I need to choose one team that can do that, it's Ferrari. I know what's going on inside and what we are trying to achieve, and I am confident on that."

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