Charles Leclerc signs new long term deal with Ferrari
Charles Leclerc has ended speculation around his future by signing a new deal with Ferrari.
Leclerc made his Formula 1 debut in 2018 with Sauber before joining Ferrari a year later. He has gone on to become the second most capped Ferrari driver in F1 history — behind only Michael Schumacher — with 155 race starts and has secured eight wins and 52 podium finishes.
The deal was signed ahead of Leclerc’s home Grand Prix in Monaco this weekend, where he will be one of the favourites.
“Being a Ferrari driver is a dream”
Leclerc said: "I couldn’t be happier to continue this journey with Scuderia Ferrari HP. 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."
“A person who is completely at one with the team and everything Ferrari represents”
Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur was pleased with the news, saying: "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."
The Monaco Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 7 June.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Scuderia Ferrari