The Monaco driver has just six points in 2023 and is seventh in Saudi Arabia after being forced to withdraw from races in Bahrain and Australia.

But as well as his Ferrari team facing challenges in getting the SF-23 racing up to speed, the Maranello team is also facing turmoil, with senior figures including car concept director David Sanchez and sporting director Laurent Mekis resigning. .

The personnel changes added to the headaches team principal Frederic Vassell faced as he pushed the team forward, but Leclerc said no alarm bells were ringing in his head.

Asked by Autosport if he was worried about the struggles on track and what was going on off track, Leclerc said: “Well, to be honest, if we’re talking on track, the performance wasn’t what we wanted in the first part of the season. .The first three games were a disaster for me.

“But these three weeks I think it’s good to reset and see what we can do to optimize our existing packages.

“Then it went off track and, of course, the team restructured, that was obvious. We had a very good relationship with Laurent. But we all understood in the team that the opportunity was right because it was a really good opportunity for him. It turned out Is such that.

“But there’s more than one team. Yeah, I’m confident in Fred’s future. I’m really confident.”

Leclerc said he had full faith in Vassell’s plans to change Ferrari’s fortunes, with his new team boss reassured by his vision for the future.

“I think he’s very open about what he wants to achieve and how he wants to achieve it,” he said.

“It probably gave me more confidence than I’ve ever had. It’s clearly moving and I’m confident about the future.”

mercedes rumors

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photography: Mark Sutton/ motorsport pictures

Leclerc has found himself at the center of recent rumors linking him with Mercedes as he faces an ongoing struggle at Ferrari.

But he dismissed any suggestion of talking to the German carmaker, as he said he maintained complete trust in Ferrari.

Asked if he had held talks with Mercedes, Leclerc said: “No, not yet. Not yet. So right now, I’m fully focused on the project I’m working on today: Ferrari. As I said, I fully believe I have confidence in the future. Then we’ll see.”

Leclerc believes that despite everything Ferrari is facing now, he believes in its ability to recover.

“It’s a very big step, considering the step to be taken,” he said. “At this point, we are fully aware and I am the first to know.

“But if I need to pick a team that can do that, it’s Ferrari. I know what’s going on inside and what we’re trying to achieve and I’m confident about that.”