Fred Vasseur reacts to Charles Leclerc 'now or never' Ferrari warning

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has downplayed Charles Leclerc's “now or never” declaration after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Italian squad endured a difficult campaign as it failed to win a single grand prix, while headline signing Lewis Hamilton could not capture a podium result.

It has placed high pressure on the team ahead of the 2026 campaign, with all the cars being constructed under fresh technical regulations.

The rule change presents an opportunity for one team to make a step up the pecking order.

After a disappointing season, Leclerc declared it was “now or never” for Ferrari as he enters his eighth season with the Italian squad.

However, Vasseur asserted the comment was made while emotions were running high after stepping out of the car.

“Honestly, I think Charles, if you ever looked last year for sure, when you are going to the TV pen and you’re asking him after the session, are you happy with the session when it’s P2 or are you happy when it’s P6? It’s not the same Charles, for sure,“ Vasseur told media including RacingNews365.

“But if you ask him the day after, 'what do you want to do with the team?', I think the approach is always the same. 

“It’s always constructive, to try to do better. Even if I’m P1 I have exactly the same approach with the team on the Monday morning, when we are doing the debrief to know and to understand where we can do better.”

Ferrari is currently enduring a title drought, having last achieved a championship in 2008.

As Leclerc continues to wait for a title-contending car, Vasseur accepted the Monegasque's words root back to pushing the team forward.

“It doesn’t matter if you are P1 or P10. I think the debrief today at Alpine, Williams, at Red Bull, with us is the same,” Vasseur said.

“It's that we are just trying to do a better job on every single pillar of performance.

“On the engine, on the gearbox, on the aero, on the set-up, on the simulator. This is the DNA of what we are doing.”

“Max [Verstappen] is pushing the team at the limit. Lando [Norris] is pushing the team at the limit. And honestly, as an F1 team is also what we are expecting.”