Mika Häkkinen believes Charles Leclerc’s contract extension at Ferrari in Formula 1 is the right thing to do.
Scuderia confirmed the new deal with the Monegasque last week. The exact term of the new working paper is not publicly known. Ferrari wrote of “several seasons”.
“I think Charles is a great personality,” Häkkinen responded to formula1.com. Leclerc is “an excellent racing driver, he is in a good team and is on the best path to the future – I am confident that he will make it.”
Leclerc has been driving for Ferrari in Formula 1 since 2019. The world title has not yet been won for the 28-year-old.
“If you want to be a winner, if you want to win a world championship, you have to keep your life simple. You can’t make it too complicated! What happens very often with drivers who have been with a team for two or three years and have not had any success: They still have the feeling that they are the best, that the problem is not with you, but with the team,” said Häkkinen.
Leclerc wants to redeem Ferrari in Formula 1
The 57-year-old believes consistency in Formula 1 is the key to success.
“If drivers change teams too often, you never find the stability you need. People don’t learn to understand who you really are, what is required, what kind of car is necessary for this talented driver to really give 100 percent performance,” argued Häkkinen: “Then they move from one team to another, and no one ever learns who you really are.”
Häkkinen was crowned Formula 1 world champion in McLaren in 1998 and 1999. It was his Finnish compatriot Kimi Räikkönen who last won a drivers’ title with Ferrari in 2007. Leclerc wants to one day follow in the footsteps of the traditional Italian racing team.