Charles Leclerc predicts one aspect of Frederic Vasseur’s Ferrari role will change very soon

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It has not been an ideal first half of the season for Ferrari after showing promise in the first rounds of the season.

Carlos Sainz took their first victory off the back of retirement for Max Verstappen at the Australian Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc went on to take a brilliant home race victory at Monaco.

Neither has achieved a top-three finish on merit with the SF-24 since May, despite the team bringing upgrades. Both Leclerc and Sainz finished third at the Austrian and Belgian Grands Prix off the back of retirements and the disqualification of George Russell respectively.

In July it was also revealed that their technical director, Enrico Cardile had been courted by the billionaire owner of Aston Martin, Lawrence Stroll, creating further unrest in the team’s technical department.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur took over as the interim technical director of the chassis area of Maranello, as the team continues to search for a replacement for Cardile. Leclerc still has faith in Vasseur, but predicted his future role within the team going forward when speaking to Motorsport.com.

Charles Leclerc expects Frederic Vasseur to change Ferrari role

Ferrari has endured a few years of shuffling at the top, having also replaced Mattia Binotto at the beginning of the 2023 season to make way for Vasseur after underwhelming results.

While Vasseur holds the interim technical director position, he is not expected to stay on for the long term according to Leclerc.

“My role is to give my best on the track. Then I try to have a clear picture of what is happening within the team, but I always have 200% faith in Fred’s work. I don’t think he will remain technical director for long!” said Leclerc.

“I trust him completely, I am sure he will manage the situation in the best possible way, and I am also fully confident that there will be no negative influences on the team. It is always about the group, not so much about one person in particular.”

Ferrari attempted to court Adrian Newey as a technical force

Ferrari was working towards a potential collaboration with legendary designer Adrian Newey, with Vassuer having met with him to discuss potential terms.

It later emerged that the 65-year-old wanted to have more control than Ferrari was willing to allow within its technical team, which led Newey to sign with Aston Martin instead.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

The Silverstone-based team made Newey a massive offer with the help of Stroll, in a move that is expected to help them challenge for titles as early as the 2026 season. Newey was also said to be delighted with the appointment of Cardile within the technical team.

Ferrari is banking on the arrival of Lewis Hamilton to help with their title assault for the future, having sensationally signed him from Mercedes at the start of the season after the seven-time World Champion activated a break clause in his current contract.