Charles Leclerc has revealed he has deleted all social media applications from his phone to block out external "silly rumours" surrounding Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur.
Speculation regarding Vasseur's position in the Maranello outfit recently prompted the Frenchman to admit after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that the team was not operating with its usual "serenity".
When asked about the impact of the rumours during media day ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Leclerc said that while he has personally disconnected from the gossip, the constant rumours inevitably have an impact on the team.
"Honestly, me personally, I took off everything that is social media," Leclerc said. "So I don't see much of what's going on around. But of course, you hear about what's going around and many people from the team know what's going around, and that is not good for the serenity of the team, for sure.
"But at the end of the day, this is something that we have little control over, and we've got to maximise our results anyway."
Amid the growing speculation about Vasseur, Ferrari's management released a statement in support of its team chief.
"I've always said how much I trust Fred and how important he is for the team," Leclerc continued. "We have a very special relationship, but other than that, I think he's extremely capable in what he does. And I think he's been extremely valuable so far, and he will be extremely valuable in the years to come as well.
"And for the support, there was never any doubt inside the team that he has all of our support. Then sometimes it's needed to make it clear to the outside world as well. But to me, that doesn't really matter. I know where we stand inside the team, and that's the most important thing.
"I just wish that sometimes there were less of these silly rumours going around."
