Scuderia Ferrari have locked up their star driver.
Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc revealed on Thursday that he signed a contract extension with Scuderia Ferrari. While the exact duration of that contract is unknown, Leclerc specifically mentioned that he was linking himself to the team for “several more seasons.”
Leclerc first linked with Ferrari in 2016, when he joined up with the Ferrari Driver’s Academy. He served as a test driver for both Haas and Sauber before signing on with the latter in 2018. He impressed in that one stint, outqualifying his teammate Marcus Ericsson 17 times in 21 races. He would later move to Ferrari the following year, and it’s where he’s been ever since.
Ferrari announces Charles Leclerc has signed a contract extension
No length given, but Leclerc says: "I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come" #F1
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) January 25, 2024
Leclerc has had a successful, if not tumultuous, experience racing for Ferrari. He’s scored 1,035 points for the team and has won five races, and he’s notorious for his qualifying prowess — he’s put his car on pole 23 times throughout his career.
However, his tenure has come with some downs alongside the ups, as he’s suffered from a combination of Ferrari incompetence and occasionally from his own in certain high-pressure situations. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has won more races from Charles Leclerc pole positions than Charles Leclerc has, and be it his doing or his team’s doing, speculations about his future have persisted in recent years.
Nonetheless, Leclerc is sticking with Ferrari. He’s set to race alongside teammate Carlos Sainz once again in 2024, whose own contract situation and up-and-down performance will make for another decision from both sides looming in the coming months.
