Lewis Hamilton will become Ferrari’s short-term star, but Charles Leclerc is the Scuderia’s future. 2024 is his 6th year with them, having secured 5 wins during that volatile period. Though his teammate Carlos Sainz has taken Ferrari’s last three wins, the Monegasque has been a fantastic team player throughout. Despite such loyalty to the team, a Spanish journalist has raised concerns over Leclerc’s priorities.

Ferrari is the only team, apart from Red Bull, to have won races in 2023 and 2024. Coincidentally, Carlos Sainz was the Ferrari driver leading the race in both instances. At the 2023 Singapore GP, because Sainz was leading and Ferrari wanted to avoid an intra-team battle, they ordered Leclerc to hold on to P2 by defending against their rivals. A similar situation replayed at the 2024 Australian GP, and Leclerc complied with team orders again. His selflessness allowed them to bring two winning trophies home.

Despite such instances, Spanish journalist Antonio Lobato, a guest on the Soymotor YT podcast, has sparked a small-scale controversy. Lobato claimed that “Leclerc doesn’t care about Ferrari; he cares about himself.”  This statement has angered Leclerc’s fans, leading to Lobato receiving severe backlash.

Ferrari fans bash Antonio Lobato for disrespecting Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc has been Tifosi’s favorite since he joined the Maranello outfit in 2019. His strong-willed fights and character made him the face of Ferrari, a team that doesn’t hold back in the face of adversity.

Though the team has never been able to provide their star driver with a consistently fast car, he never gave up. Such qualities speak louder than words. As a result, his fans have always stood with him, and they have supported him yet again after Lobato’s angering comment.

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One hardcore fan of the Leclerc had the most to say, emphasizing his tireless efforts at reviving the historic team’s performance. “We are talking about the same driver who has given life, soul and tears for Ferrari. Who does not look for blame, but for solutions and works three times as hard to get ahead with HIS team. Saying this kind of thing is stupid.” [translated by X]

Another fan took this opportunity to take a dig at Carlos Sainz (probably referring to Carlos in the typo “car loss”).

One user went as far as to claim that Lobato was acting based on set propaganda. While this seems to be an extreme view to draw from one instance, their irritation was voiced.

Another user echoed the previous, highlighting how ironic and “reverse” Lobato was when making such a bold claim against a generational talent.

One Spanish Twitterati didn’t mince words while reminding his compatriot journalist of Leclerc’s success. “Let him cry and speak mass. It bothers him that Charles has a contract with Ferrari and that he does whatever he wants.” [translated by X]

The escalating hitting back from the Tifosi shows how Leclerc has won over them with his skill and personality. What do you think? Were Lobato’s comments justified? Let us know in the comments section below.