Charles Leclerc Explains Why Ferrari Was ‘Always the Choice’ Despite Other Offers

While Charles Leclerc has committed his long-term future to Ferrari, the Monegasque driver revealed on the eve of his home grand prix that he had other offers “on the table” before signing his latest contract.

The 28-year-old agreed to a new multi-year deal to remain with the Prancing Horse for the “coming seasons”, according to Ferrari’s official announcement. However, the exact length of the contract has not been disclosed.

The agreement also ended speculation over whether Leclerc might eventually consider leaving Ferrari, with the Scuderia still chasing a first world championship since 2008 and a first drivers’ title since 2007. Some had suggested the eight-time grand prix winner could be losing patience.

Speaking in Thursday’s press conference ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Leclerc confirmed when asked whether rival teams had attempted to lure him away from Ferrari: “there were, yes.”

“I’m not going to say [who]. They can say it if they want, but for me Ferrari was always the choice,” Leclerc said.

“They have been one of the first people to believe in me and to help me get to where I am today.

“And I believe in the project as a whole. With Fred [Vasseur], we have a very good relationship and I strongly believe he’s the person that will be able to bring Ferrari back to the top.”

Leclerc has been associated with Ferrari for a decade and has spent eight seasons racing for the Scuderia in Formula 1. During that time, he has established himself as one of the sport’s fastest qualifiers, highlighted by his 27 career pole positions.

Race wins and championship success, however, have largely eluded both Leclerc and Ferrari despite his unwavering faith in the team. Only once has he been a genuine title contender, in 2022, when he led the championship for five races before Ferrari’s campaign unravelled and Max Verstappen secured the first of his back-to-back titles.

Ferrari also came close to ending their championship drought in 2024, finishing just 14 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ standings. However, they were rarely considered to have the outright fastest car and were unable to sustain that level of competitiveness into the following season, which became Leclerc’s fourth winless campaign with the team.

Nevertheless, Leclerc remains convinced Ferrari offers his best path to championship success.

“I think just how much the team is pushing, the vision of Fred that he is sharing with me very often and very regularly, and I’m fully onboard with the project. I believe that this is my best chance to become a Formula 1 World Champion,” he said in an interview with F1.com.

With 155 race starts for Ferrari, Leclerc trails only Michael Schumacher for the most appearances in Scuderia history. There is little doubt that this new contract will see him surpass Schumacher’s tally of 179 starts.

The question that remains, however, is whether those additional appearances will finally deliver the championship success both Leclerc and Ferrari have spent so long chasing.

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Written by

Jawad Yaqub

An eCommerce Specialist by day and reporting on F1 by night. Jawad is passionate about motorsport, having provided accredited F1 coverage for more than a decade. Live blogging (almost) every grand prix too since 2014, as well as articles on the Supercars Championship. Also keen on sustainability, photography, collecting vinyl, (trying to) expertly barbeque and learning to Dad.

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