Ferrari will continue to rely on long-term hopeful Charles Leclerc after the coming season. The Formula 1 racing team from Maranello announced on Thursday the early extension of the contract with the 26-year-old Monegasque. “Ferrari means everything to me,” Leclerc said in a team video.
Ferrari does not provide any information about the running time
Ferrari did not provide any information about the new term; his old contract would have expired at the end of 2024. At the end of last year, Italian media speculated about a five-year contract. Leclerc has been driving for Scuderia since 2019, but it wasn’t enough for the world title.
In 2022, Leclerc took second place in the classification behind the Dutch Red Bull world champion Max Verstappen. He has competed in more than 100 Grand Prix for Ferrari so far.
Leclerc: “This team is my second family”
Leclerc said in his team’s statement that he is very pleased that he will be wearing Ferrari’s racing overalls for several more seasons. “This team is my second family,” emphasized Leclerc. And he believes that the best is yet to come. Leclerc has not given up his dream of winning the World Cup. “We are determined to give him a winning car,” assured team boss Frédéric Vasseur.
Formula 1 season starts in March
The new season begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2nd. With 24 Grand Prix, there will be more than ever before in the history of the premier motorsport class. In addition to Leclerc, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz Junior will drive the second Ferrari.