Charles Leclerc has committed to Ferrari for the long term and signed a new contract. The Monegasse now revealed that he turned down offers from Formula 1 competitors.
Despite the ongoing title curse, Leclerc remains loyal to the Scuderia. According to Ferrari’s official announcement for the “coming seasons”, the exact term of the new working paper is not known.
With the extension, the 28-year-old also ended speculation about a possible departure from Ferrari. The traditional Italian racing team has been waiting for a constructors’ world championship title since 2008 and a drivers’ world championship triumph since 2007.
Given the lack of success, there has been repeated speculation recently as to whether Leclerc might be losing patience.
Before his home race in Monaco, the eight-time Grand Prix winner confirmed that other teams had tried to convince him to change.
“Yes, there were,” Leclerc replied when asked whether rivals had made attempts to poach him.
Leclerc with a declaration of love for Ferrari
However, the Ferrari driver did not want to reveal which teams had specifically inquired. “I won’t say who it was. You can say it yourself if you want. But for me, Ferrari was always the choice,” explained Leclerc.
The Monegasque also emphasized his close ties to the racing team from Maranello: “Ferrari was one of the first teams that believed in me and helped me get to where I am today.”
Leclerc also has high hopes for team boss Fred Vasseur. “We have a very good relationship. I am firmly convinced that he is the right person to bring Ferrari back to the top,” said the 28-year-old.
Super sports weekend: Formula 1 right in the middle
How Charles Leclerc presents himself at his home race in Monaco can be seen live on free TV. As part of the merger with Sky Deutschland, RTL Deutschland is opening a new chapter and offering fans a super sports weekend on June 6th and 7th. It starts on Saturday from 3:15 p.m. with the qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, which will be broadcast in parallel on RTL, NITRO and Sky Sport. Afterwards, “Exclusiv Special – Stars in Monaco” takes a look behind the scenes of Formula 1’s most glamorous racing weekend.
In the evening, RTL will show the German national team’s international match against the USA with an extended run from 7:05 p.m.
Sunday will be all about Formula 1: RTL, NITRO and Sky Sport will broadcast the Monaco Grand Prix live from 1:30 p.m.