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Ferrari have made no secret of their desire to keep Charles Leclerc for the time being, so the news that he has signed a contract extension comes as no surprise. Explained by Lawrence Barrett on Formula1.com. But while Ferrari made it clear during the last contract extension with Leclerc that it was set for five seasons until the end of 2024, things are more uncertain this time.
The contract is set to run for several years and is expected to last at least two seasons, with a range of options to give both parties flexibility, although good performance will ultimately encourage retention. This would also explain why it took longer than both parties expected to get everything signed on the dotted line. Charles Leclerc signed a new contract extension with Ferrari for 2024 and beyond, admitting there was not enough time. This time a less strict agreement makes sense for both sides. With the new regulation, Leclerc will have passed the final year of the current regulations in 2025 and next season will be equipped with a new power unit that must use 100% sustainable fuel, as well as revised aerodynamic rules. This gives Ferrari the chance to prove that they can deliver a car with which Leclerc can challenge for the world title when he makes his debut in 2026, and for Leclerc it will be a question of whether the car is good enough or at least not available in the next regulatory cycle. This will give them time to determine if they have the potential to be competitive. Leclerc wants to be successful at Ferrari. Leclerc’s main goal was to stay at Ferrari. He wants to be successful there. Leclerc knows Ferrari F1 team boss Frédéric Vasseur well, having driven for him in ART’s junior formula before making his F1 debut under Vasseur at Sauber in 2018. He also has a great relationship with Scuderia’s top management. In some ways, this kind of structure is rare, both at Sauber and at any team Leclerc has worked with with Ferrari team boss Vasseur, especially a team as wealthy and historic as Ferrari. With Max Verstappen stuck at Red Bull and Mercedes focusing entirely on Lewis Hamilton and George Russell over the next few years, serious options were limited. Leclerc also saw what the team had prepared for the future after watching Vasseur in action for a year, and how the next rounds of improvements to the car, including a big little change in 2026, would progress. You should have seen that there. Signing such a contract means that he believes in what he has seen and what he has been told. Leclerc’s talent is highly valued by Ferrari. Since welcoming Leclerc into their family through their driver academy in 2016, they have held Leclerc in high regard and have seen first-hand how talented he is. Leclerc’s qualifying skills are particularly encouraging as he is second on the list of Ferrari drivers with the most pole positions and is on track to become the best of all time in terms of single lap speed. Some people believe this is the case. There are still problems to be solved in his arsenal, such as a few mistakes that crept in when he reached his limits, but he has shown enough potential to become world champion that Ferrari is willing to let him go . I don’t think I want that too. The contract was concluded before the new season. In other words: attention is drawn to other sheets. They are likely to retain Carlos Sainz, who has been impressive as a Spanish driver since joining the team from McLaren in the 2021 season. Sainz formed a great partnership with Leclerc and was ruthlessly consistent, becoming the only Ferrari to win the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix. But Sainz is interested in a two-year contract and wants to know his future before the start of the season. Although Ferrari are interested in keeping Sainz, they also know they have other options, so they need more time to figure out if this is the deal they want.
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