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Vasseur: "Ferrari move big risk for Leclerc"

11:35, 26 Jul 2018

byBobby Vincent

Frederic Vasseur says that if Charles Leclerc made the switch to Ferrari, it would be a big risk for him.

Sauber boss Frederic Vasseur has admitted that if his driver Charles Leclerc made the rumoured switch to Ferrari, he is not sure how he would adapt to the pressure that comes with driving in a Ferrari car.

Leclerc is enjoying his first season in Formula One and it has been widely reported that Ferrari are interested in taking the Monegasque driver to replace their F1 veteran, Kimi Raikkonen.

Vasseur believes that it may be best for the 20-year-old's development if he stays with his Sauber team, at least for now.

"Moving from Sauber to Ferrari is a big step," Vasseur told La Derniere Heure.

"We cannot predict what will happen, especially when it comes to drivers getting some money."

Leclerc has to go down as one of the most impressive 'rookies' in the sport's history and his success with Sauber this season has reportedly earned his a 5 million Euro contract with the Italians for next season.

"In the last twenty years, there have been plenty of drivers who did very good first seasons in F1," Vasseur added.

"I will not give names, but as soon as they touched their first cheque, they had trouble. They lost their roots because they discovered new things in life and lost a little bit of what they were doing.

"So we cannot anticipate. That's why Ferrari is a big leap for Charles. And it's why Ferrari has always hesitated to take very young drivers. They know very well the pressure that is in their system. But I'm not too worried about Charles."