Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur admits that he would be "frustrated" if Charles Leclerc was "happy" about the current situation at the team. The Monegasque has faced a difficult start to the 2023 F1 season, having retired from both the Bahrain and Australian Grands Prix due to mechanical issues and a Lap 1 collision respectively. Leclerc has branded it "the worst ever start of the season" . When quizzed on whether he has any concerns about Leclerc's motivation given the recent issues, Vasseur insisted that he is not worried about this, though acknowledges that he can understand the frustrations of Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz.
Vasseur on Leclerc's motivation
"I have absolutely no doubt about the motivation of Charles," Vasseur told media, including RacingNews365.com . "We had the DNF in Bahrain and then the [10-place grid] penalty in Jeddah and the DNF in Melbourne [so], for sure, it was not at all the plan, but the motivation is still there. "I have a good relationship with Charles. This won't affect the mood. "When you are jumping on Charles or Carlos or any of the drivers in the TV pen [a few] seconds after the race, for sure they can't be happy, and 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 [and] pushing in the same direction. They are supporting the team, Carlos was there in the week in the simulator and Charles will be there next week. "The motivation is not an issue at all. For sure, the results are not the results expected, but we all know that."
Mood within Ferrari 'incredibly good'
When asked by RacingNews365.com about rumours of low morale within Ferrari, particularly after the exit of former Team Principal Mattia Binotto, Vasseur stated that the mood remains positive at the Scuderia. "The mood in the team is incredibly good for the level of result that we have [had]," Vasseur explained. "I think everybody is very motivated, very focused. The drivers, they are very supportive with us, and the mood in the team is more than good. "If the question was about the relationship with John [Elkann, Chairman at Ferrari] or Benedetto [Vigna, Chief Executive Officer], trust me that it's also very positive. "For sure, we don't have the results that we are expecting, but we are all working together to improve the situation."
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