Charles Leclerc has agreed a new contract with Ferrari which will almost certainly see him remain with the Scuderia through the next set of regulation changes in 2026.
The 26-year-old Monegasque driver’s deal with Ferrari was due to end at the end of the 2024 F1 season but the team was eager to ensure they had him in place over the longer term. Leclerc, whose new contract is for an undefined period described as “several more seasons to come”, expressed his confidence in staying despite Ferrari having underperformed in recent years.
“This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari driver academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years,” he said.
“However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race. My dream remains that of winning the world championship with Ferrari.”
Leclerc is without doubt one of the most talented drivers on the grid but he has yet to really deliver, with Ferrari struggling to match the pace of Mercedes and more recently Red Bull.
He made an enormous impression during his rookie season with Alfa Romeo in 2018 and was promoted to Ferrari the following year, when he took two wins. He has since scored three more, all in 2022, when he and the team started the season strongly before being comprehensively outpaced by Red Bull. Ferrari have not won a drivers’ championship since 2007.
His record over a single lap in qualifying is formidable, with 23 pole positions, repeatedly proving he is able to wrestle more from the car than it deserved but Ferrari have struggled to translate their pace on a Saturday to race pace on Sunday.
They closed out 2023 with a steadily improving car and there is optimism they will have made further steps to catch Red Bull, who won 21 of 22 races last year, with Max Verstappen the runaway world champion, when the new season begins in Bahrain on 2 March.
Leclerc has long demonstrated loyalty and faith in the team, since he was made a member of their academy in 2016. The Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur, in turn paid tribute to Leclerc’s skill but noted that it was now up to the team to deliver the machinery for their driver said:
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“We know him for his incessant desire to push himself to the limit and we appreciate his extraordinary abilities when it comes to fighting and overtaking in a race,” he said. “We are determined to give Charles a winning car and I know that his determination and commitment are elements that can make the difference in helping us reach our goals.”
His teammate Carlos Sainz’s contract expires at the end of this season.