Mourinho says Ferrari must win to ease pressure
Jul.6 (GMM) Legendary football manager Jose Mourinho has expressed sympathy for Ferrari's leading figures as the iconic Formula 1 team endures yet another difficult spell.
Amid persistent speculation about the future of team principal Frederic Vasseur, the pressure bubbled over at Silverstone—particularly for Charles Leclerc, who lost his cool over team radio after a messy qualifying.
With both Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton squandering chances at pole, the Monegasque slammed himself in a furious outburst, swearing repeatedly in frustration.
"I am so fcking sht. That's all I am," he shouted over the radio, unleashing nine expletives in just as many seconds.
Hamilton also made a costly error in Q3, which prompted a rare public criticism from Vasseur himself.
"A few races ago it was more of a structural issue," Vasseur told Sky Italia. "Today it was a matter of mistakes.
"The car was there – it was two drivers who didn't put everything together on the decisive lap. We have to work on that."
Leclerc, once calmer, admitted he was tired of making the same excuses.
"I'm tired of coming to the microphones and saying this or that was missing," he said. "I don't have the same feeling I had with the 2024 car in qualifying.
"We have specific problems and in qualifying it becomes more difficult, because there are strange things in the car but we know where they come from."
Then, more cryptically, Leclerc added: "There is something else in the car that we have never talked about, and it is better this way. But we are struggling with this problem and hope that the solution will come soon."
One notable visitor in the Silverstone paddock this weekend was none other than Jose Mourinho—the outspoken, ultra-successful football coach known for his sharp insights and media presence.
Asked if he had advice for Ferrari in the current climate, Mourinho drew a parallel with the club he once managed.
"Ferrari is the Real Madrid of Formula 1," he said. "At Real, they say that when you put on the white jersey you're already winning 1-0. It's the same with Ferrari – when you step onto the track, you win. But while wearing red is a dream, it is also a huge responsibility."
Mourinho said the weight of the Ferrari badge brings both pride and pressure.
"It's logical that representing such an important brand involves a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure," he added. "How do you deal with the pressure? By winning."
Among the sport's four leading teams in 2025, Ferrari remains the only one yet to win a race.
"You have to have the strength to overcome," said Mourinho. "To believe in yourself, and to try to have the time that the owners and the fans usually don't give you.
"But as a coach, player, team manager, driver—you have to believe in yourself and in what your teammates are doing."]]>