BUDAPEST, Hungary -- In a move that solidifies Ferrari's leadership for the coming years, the team has announced a multi-year contract extension for team principal Fred Vasseur. This decision, confirmed ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, effectively quashes any lingering rumors about Vasseur's future with the storied Formula 1 team.

Charles Leclerc, who has been with Ferrari since before Vasseur's arrival in late 2022, expressed his enthusiasm for the announcement. "I'm really, really happy," Leclerc stated. "It's not that it's coming as a surprise, but I'm really happy. Especially in the past month, there were quite a few rumors, like it's always the case around the team. To finally have the official news out is important and I'm really happy."

Leclerc highlighted Vasseur's unique ability to maintain emotional stability amidst the intense atmosphere that surrounds Ferrari. "Without going into comparing the different eras, Fred has an incredible vision. What's very difficult within Ferrari is the emotion is very much part of the daily job because Italian people in general, and that's what makes Ferrari so special, are extremely passionate about Ferrari. Fred really knows how to leave his emotions aside and have a clear vision of where we are at no matter how much noise there is around the team. This is very, very important. Apart from that, he's got many more qualities. One of them is also to extract the maximum out of every single person at the factory and this, when you put everything together, it makes a big difference."

Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari at the start of the year, also voiced his support for Vasseur. "There's nothing else to add, I told you before that it was the right choice," Hamilton said. "Fred signed me here and we wanted to work together." Hamilton added that he is still adapting to Vasseur's management style but remains confident in his leadership. "I'm still learning -- trying to learn -- the way that Fred likes to work, but I have absolute confidence in Fred, as I've always said."

Leclerc further elaborated on Vasseur's impact on the team's operational dynamics. "He definitely changed the way we are working on different things. Where Fred made the biggest difference is his vision, his overall vision. This, he embedded it into the team and that's very important. I feel that the beauty of Ferrari is the fact that emotionally it's always intense, but it can also harm us in some ways, especially when tougher times arrive. Fred has always had very cold blood in those moments and helped the team to be a little bit more lucid. And that's the biggest thing Fred has brought to the team."

This contract extension not only secures Vasseur's position but also reinforces Ferrari's commitment to stability and long-term planning, crucial elements as they aim to reclaim their dominance in Formula 1.