Charles Leclerc has revealed that Team Principal Frederic Vasseur was key to him signing a contract extension with Ferrari, as he is "fully aligned" with the Frenchman's "vision".
2024 is a big year for Ferrari and Vasseur, with the recent winter break having been his first in full with the famous outfit. Vasseur joined Ferrari mid-January 2023 and initially had to work with a car and a team that had been built around ex-boss Mattia Binotto.
For Vasseur, it was difficult to truly implement his style, as he had to make the most of what Binotto had put in place for the 2023 season prior to his exit. Because of this, the recent winter break was an important one for the 55-year-old, as it was his first opportunity to do everything his way.
Vasseur has had input on the SF-24 and how the side spent their time ahead of the 2024 campaign, which started with a solid podium for Carlos Sainz at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc finished fourth but did start from the front row, with Ferrari currently being second in the pecking order.
Unlike 12 months ago, Ferrari is very much now Vasseur's team, with the speed of which he has changed things at Maranello having surprised Leclerc.
"A lot, when Fred arrived, I was expecting him to take a bit of time before actually setting up in this new position, which is a very, I mean, it's a huge team with so much history," Leclerc told select media including RacingNews365.
"Things are being done exactly the same way since 15, 20 years ago. When you get here, you need to understand how people work, the Italian people, and just the way that a team at Ferrari works.
"I think Fred understood very, very quickly and put his vision to the team very quickly. He has very clear ideas on what we're going to achieve and how to achieve those things."
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Vasseur involved in Leclerc contract talks
Leclerc and Vasseur have a very strong relationship, with the Monegasque having been followed by his boss since his karting days. The duo went onto work together in 2016, when Leclerc raced for ART GP in F3. They crossed paths again in 2018, when Leclerc was signed by Alfa Romeo for his rookie F1 season.
A significant amount has already changed since Vasseur left Alfa Romeo for Ferrari, with the Team Principal's plan having played a role in Leclerc signing a multi-year contract extension.
"And obviously, I have a very good relationship with Fred, and we've always been very open in the way he wanted to confirm things and the way we wanted to approach this new way of working," added Leclerc.
"I'm fully aligned with the vision that Fred has for the team medium to long-term, and he has also been part of my discussions when I opted to renew my contract. As much as I'm in love with Ferrari and I think everybody knows that, it was important for me to be signing in a team that I trust and that definitely was the case."
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