Ferrari have announced that Charles Leclerc is going nowhere, with a fresh long-term deal to see the Monegasque race for the Scuderia for “the coming seasons” announced on the eve of his home race.
The 28-year old joined Ferrari back in 2019, following a debut season with Alfa Romeo. With the Scuderia he has won eight grands prix, 27 pole positions and 52 podiums, sitting currently third in the championship.
“I couldn’t be happier to continue this journey with Scuderia Ferrari HP,” said Leclerc in the announcement by the team.
“It has always been so much more than just a team to me. It’s the team I’ve loved and dreamt of being part of since I was a child, and after all these years it has become a second family.
“Together we’ve shared incredible moments and some tougher ones, but I believe in this team more than ever, and I’m deeply grateful that we will keep pushing side by side toward our shared goal of bringing the World Championship back to Maranello.
“Being a Ferrari driver is a dream, but it’s also a responsibility I never take for granted. I’ll continue to give absolutely everything I have to bring this team back to where it belongs, at the very top, for everyone in Maranello, and above all for the Tifosi, whose passion is the heartbeat of this Scuderia.”
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur also added: “Charles has been part of the Ferrari family for many years now and this renewal feels like something very natural for us.
“Over these seasons we have seen him grow, to become not only one of the strongest drivers in Formula 1, but also a person who is completely at one with the team and everything Ferrari represents. We appreciate his talent, we love his determination and the way he approaches every day with the people in the Scuderia, both on and off the track.
“We know how much this project means to him and we are happy to continue working towards our shared goals.”
Some of Leclerc’s Ferrari highlights include famous wins at Monza in 2019 and again in 2024, as well as the iconic home grand prix win at Monaco also in 2024. The deal now puts the Monegasque firmly in frame of becoming the driver with the most starts for Ferrari in F1 history.
Currently, he sits on 176 starts for the Maranello marque behind the great Michael Schumacher on 179. Emphasis now too on wanting to achieve championship success, which has eluded Ferrari since 2007.
The new deal for Leclerc to stay put at Ferrari, also ends any speculation linking him to defecting to rival teams. A train of thought pondered potentially, given Ferrari’s lack of ability to execute and deliver a world championship and the Monegasque’s patience being at an end.
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