Vasseur: New cars don’t suit Leclerc’s style, but he’s adjusting

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has backed Charles Leclerc to fully adapt his driving style to the latest generation of F1 machinery, after missing out on a podium in China.

Leclerc has been the lead Ferrari driver in the standings in all but one of his seven years with the team – the exception being the 2021 season when Carlos Sainz bested the Monegasque.

This season once again looks to be a tight affair, with Lewis Hamilton breaking his Ferrari podium duck at the Chinese Grand Prix, and enjoying stronger pace than Leclerc in the closing stages.

The new generation of F1 machinery is narrower, shorter, lighter, and has considerably less downforce, resulting in nimbler, more pointy cars through the corners – aspects that complement Hamilton’s strengths more than Leclerc’s.

Asked if he’s seeing adaptation from Leclerc to fill these gaps, Vasseur said: “Yeah, but it’s always the case that we have the biggest step in terms of regulations from 25 to 26 than other years, and this requires probably more adaptation and changes; a different approach from the drivers. He is doing it.

“I’m not sure it was fitting very well with his style, but he is on it. He has a very good grip in understanding the situation with the car. He is very sharp, and he will do it.”

Ferrari could look “absolutely stupid” with intra-team battles

With Mercedes up the road and the midfield a comfortable margin behind in Shanghai, Ferrari stayed out of the way when Hamilton and Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel over the final podium position.

Ferrari has previously been less willing than other teams to risk a seemingly certain result by letting its drivers race, and Vasseur explained he knew the price had things gone wrong.

“Huge respect for both of them,” he said. “They are professional, and I think it makes sense in this situation to let them race. But I know perfectly that I can also look completely stupid half an hour later, but at the end of the day, I think it’s also the best way to build up a team.

“We need to have this kind of relationship into the team to improve, and as long as it’s done like it was today - even a couple of times on the radio, they told us that they had good fun - I don’t want to freeze the positions.”