“It’s Ferrari. I wouldn’t change it”: Charles Leclerc explains what it means to drive for the Prancing Horse

Driving for F1's most historic and prestigious team, Charles Leclerc is not willing to leave Ferrari. Leclerc enjoys immense support from the passionate Tifosi. No other team boasts such a heritage and an ardent fanbase as the Italian team.

While driving for Ferrari comes with the aforementioned benefits, the job also comes with tremendous pressure. The heights of success are unparalleled but when at their lowest, the criticism is the hardest.

Charles Leclerc says that these situations are borne out of the emotions attached to the team. Regardless, the Monegasque wants to drive sporting the colors of Maranello. The 25-year-old recently said in an interview with The Athletic:

"That is also a part of why Ferrari is so special. There is the passion to it that I don’t think any other team has. It is more difficult to manage the difficult situations, because you’ve got more emotions to it. But at the end, it’s Ferrari. I wouldn’t change it."

Charles Leclerc in the F1 Grand Prix of Miami

Joining the team in 2019, Ferrari's prodigious talent had finally risen through the ranks to drive for them. In his first year at Maranello, Leclerc stunned the racing world as he outperformed the four-time champion teammate Sebastian Vettel. He then went on to sign a five-year contract with the team, the longest in its history.

Entering his fifth season with Ferrari, Leclerc's dream of winning a championship hasn't materialized. After an underwhelming start to the 2023 season, rumors of Leclerc swapping seats with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes emerged in the media.

With his current contract ending in 2024, the 25-year-old still has faith in Ferrari, as he admitted he needs no guarantee about improved performance. Speaking about his future with the team, he said:

"No, the belief is there. And the belief is not only going one way, it has to go both ways. If we are both happy to continue, then this will happen. For now, it’s very early to speak about it."

With 18 months left in Leclerc's contract, Ferrari will be keen on changing their fortunes, to retain its star driver.

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Charles Leclerc receives criticism from Ex-F1 driver

Charles Leclerc crashed twice at the same corner over the Miami GP weekend. David Coulthard, Ex-Red Bull, and McLaren driver criticized the Leclerc for pushing too far.

Coulthard commented on Leclerc's crash on Channel 4 saying:

"It’s not acceptable and that’s a chink in his armor. He’s brilliantly fast, he extracts a lot from that car, but he makes too many mistakes and there’s too much damage."

He added:

"But I think that all he needs is a World Championship and then he will be the complete package. Right now, he doesn’t have that World Championship. Therefore, he’s driving a little bit desperate and driving beyond his own capabilities."