Charles Leclerc has sought to alleviate concerns regarding his future with Ferrari, following team president John Elkann's recent comments urging the team to "talk less," which ignited considerable media speculation and rekindled rumors linking the Monegasque driver to Aston Martin for 2027. During a conversation in Las Vegas, Leclerc dismissed the surrounding drama, asserting that Elkann's remarks had been misinterpreted. "People's interpretations are out of my control, and I'm not interested in wasting my time on them," he stated. "John reaches out to me after every Grand Prix, and we discussed various topics, including what he intended to convey. His aim was to be constructive and motivate the team to enhance performance." Leclerc emphasized that the comments were not directed specifically at him. "The criticism wasn’t about the incidents in Brazil. It was more broad," he explained. "John expresses his thoughts openly. He has always been transparent with me, regardless of the circumstances. We both share a deep passion for Ferrari. His objective is to help us all perform at our best. I align with him on that." "John’s intentions were positive. He sought to energize everyone," Leclerc added. The 2025 season has seen him as Ferrari's standout performer, while speculation persists that Aston Martin, which is preparing a Newey-designed, Honda-powered vehicle, has reached out to his manager, Nicolas Todt, about future possibilities. When asked if Elkann’s tone bothered him, Leclerc again minimized the situation. "The best course of action is for me to focus on the track and give it my all. I’ve always done that and will keep doing so." Lewis Hamilton, whose arrival at Ferrari has drawn increased scrutiny due to underperformance, reacted defensively to Elkann's comments. "I know what John is planning, which is why I didn’t focus on the remark," Hamilton said. "We communicate several times a week. It's about uniting the team." However, he reacted strongly to the suggestion that he should "talk less." "I can't devote any more focus to my job than I already do," he responded. "I think about my work as I fall asleep and when I wake up—sometimes it's even in my dreams. Since joining Ferrari, I've spent more time at the factory than at any of my prior teams." Hamilton added, "I have a good relationship with John. We communicate regularly."

      "We still need to wait and see if that will be possible."

      Max Verstappen mentioned that he is contemplating a change of his race number for 2026 now that the FIA has officially permitted mid-career changes, but he acknowledges that his first choice may not be accessible. In a conversation with Dutch media in Las Vegas, Verstappen stated, "I do need to get approval, so it’s a valid question regarding which number I'll be using next year. My favorite number is 3, but we still need to see if that’s doable. We'll take a calm approach in the winter."

      According to the revised regulations, a number can only be reassigned if it has not been used for two complete seasons. Daniel Ricciardo last raced with number 3 in Singapore 2024, meaning it would still be unavailable for 2026. This rule is in place because a driver without a full-time seat may return, similar to Valtteri Bottas (77) and Sergio Perez (11) with Cadillac.

      Verstappen confessed that he had considered other options. "Actually, I wanted 69," he chuckled. "But my dad didn’t agree that it was a good idea. I thought it was awesome—the number looks the same from all angles. From a marketing standpoint, it’s perfect!" He also mentioned liking 27, stating that "the 2 and the 7 look nice together," but that number is currently assigned to Nico Hulkenberg. For the time being, 3 remains his top choice, but "other numbers are cool too."

      Verstappen’s current number 33 was selected because it was the one he used during his karting days. In another context, the Dutch driver shared his suggestions for enhancing Formula 1 on the Securing the Win podcast. "Definitely a lot fewer races. Only the best tracks—not too many street circuits," he proposed. "Two-day race weekends, no sprints. One practice, one qualifying, and a race. That’s sufficient. I’ve already driven an F1 car plenty."

Charles Leclerc has sought to alleviate concerns regarding his future with Ferrari, following team president John Elkann's recent comments urging the team to "talk less," which ignited considerable media speculation and rekindled rumors linking the Monegasque driver to Aston Martin for 2027. During a conversation in Las Vegas, Leclerc dismissed the surrounding drama, asserting that Elkann's remarks had been misinterpreted. "People's interpretations are out of my control, and I'm not interested in wasting my time on them," he stated. "John reaches out to me after every Grand Prix, and we discussed various topics, including what he intended to convey. His aim was to be constructive and motivate the team to enhance performance." Leclerc emphasized that the comments were not directed specifically at him. "The criticism wasn’t about the incidents in Brazil. It was more broad," he explained. "John expresses his thoughts openly. He has always been transparent with me, regardless of the circumstances. We both share a deep passion for Ferrari. His objective is to help us all perform at our best. I align with him on that." "John’s intentions were positive. He sought to energize everyone," Leclerc added. The 2025 season has seen him as Ferrari's standout performer, while speculation persists that Aston Martin, which is preparing a Newey-designed, Honda-powered vehicle, has reached out to his manager, Nicolas Todt, about future possibilities. When asked if Elkann’s tone bothered him, Leclerc again minimized the situation. "The best course of action is for me to focus on the track and give it my all. I’ve always done that and will keep doing so." Lewis Hamilton, whose arrival at Ferrari has drawn increased scrutiny due to underperformance, reacted defensively to Elkann's comments. "I know what John is planning, which is why I didn’t focus on the remark," Hamilton said. "We communicate several times a week. It's about uniting the team." However, he reacted strongly to the suggestion that he should "talk less." "I can't devote any more focus to my job than I already do," he responded. "I think about my work as I fall asleep and when I wake up—sometimes it's even in my dreams. Since joining Ferrari, I've spent more time at the factory than at any of my prior teams." Hamilton added, "I have a good relationship with John. We communicate regularly."

Formula 1 | Max Verstappen has stated that he is open to the idea of changing his race number for 2026, now that the FIA has officially permitted mid-career alterations - but he acknowledges that his (…)

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