Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are both frustrated with the constant speculation surrounding the Ferrari team. The Scuderia have been linked with a shock move for Christian Horner, while their Monegasque driver has been touted for a move away from Maranello.
Recent reports have suggested that Leclerc is considering a departure from Ferrari from the 2027 season onwards, but the 28-year-old, who has often cited his love for the Italian constructor, maintains that he has no plans to quit.
“What I can say is what I’ve always said, and that’s very clear,” he told the media ahead of the United States Grand Prix. “I’ve always loved Ferrari so much, and my only obsession at the moment is to win in red, whether it’s now or in the future. And I want to bring back Ferrari to the top.
“I would like to add there is lots of speculation around me, but just in general around the team for whatever reason, I feel like there are too many people speaking things not coming from actual facts and it’s just a little bit annoying. It’s always been like that.
“And I think as a driver, but I think as a team, we’ve just got to focus on our things, which is what we are doing. But it’s just not great, and not super nice to see all these things around the team all the time. It’s definitely not a situation we want to be in, in a way that the performance is not at the level where we want to be.
“But we are all focused on trying to turn that situation around, as I was saying. And whenever there is a situation where the results are not there, then there are always those rumours around that come back. But yeah, I mean, what I say today is what I’ve said in the past six or seven years with the team.”
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Leclerc’s future wasn’t the only topic of contention involving Ferrari this week. A report from the Daily Mail alleged that the Scuderia have been in talks with Christian Horner regarding a surprise return to the paddock, just months after he was sacked from Red Bull after 20 years with the team.
The reported talks spell bad news for Fred Vasseur, who only signed a new multi-year contract extension with Ferrari in July. The Frenchman is under pressure to deliver results in 2026 with the Prancing Horse now languishing behind rivals McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull in terms of performance.
“It is a little bit distracting for us as a team,” Hamilton said when questioned over the rumours. “The team have made it clear where things stand in terms of re-signing Fred. Fred and the whole team are working really hard on the future of the team.
“I don’t know where the rumours have come from, so I can’t really shed much light on that. These things naturally aren’t helpful. I know everyone back at the factory is working really hard and these kind of rumours can be distracting.”
