Vasseur has no doubts about Leclerc: 'The motivation is there'

Ferrari's start to the season has certainly not been what the team had hoped for. Whereas last year it was still able to compete with Red Bull for the title, the Italian team is now lagging behind Mercedes and Aston Martin. Due to two DNF's by Leclerc, Max Verstappen' s former title rival is currently in tenth place shared with Nico Hülkenberg. Nevertheless, Vasseur is still confident that Leclerc will not give up.

"I have absolutely no doubt about the motivation of Charles," explains the team boss. "For sure the start of the season is not the goal that we had; the DNF in Bahrain and then the penalty in Jeddah, and the DNF in Melbourne. For sure it was not at all the plan, but the motivation is there. I have a good relationship with Charles and this won’t affect the mood."

Vasseur understands his drivers' frustration well

That motivation is fine was not necessarily evident from the Ferrari drivers after the Australian Grand Prix. In the media square, Leclerc expressed his frustration, calling it the worst season start of his career. His teammate Carlos Sainz even refused to comment on the race because of his frustration over time penalties that pushed him out of the points.

"For sure when you are jumping on drivers in the TV pen 30 seconds after the race, for sure they can’t be happy," Vasseur said about that. "I would be very frustrated if they were relaxed and happy with the situation. The most important thing for me is to keep everybody motivated, pushing in the same direction, and they are supporting the team. The motivation is not an issue at all. For sure the results are not the results expected but we all know that."