Charles Leclerc has committed his future to Ferrari after the Italian team announced a contract extension that will keep the Monegasque driver in red for the coming seasons of the Formula 1 World Championship. The agreement marks the latest chapter in a relationship that has spanned a decade, with Leclerc first joining the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 before rising through the ranks to become one of the most prominent figures in Formula 1.
Ferrari confirmed the renewal describing Leclerc as a central figure in the team's present and future ambitions. The 28-year-old has become synonymous with the Scuderia since joining the Formula 1 team in 2019, delivering race victories, pole positions and podium finishes while establishing himself as one of the sport's fastest and most talented drivers. He does so after a
disappointing weekend in the Canadian GP.
Leclerc's connection with Ferrari predates his Formula 1 career. After joining the Ferrari Driver Academy, he captured the Formula 2 championship in 2017 before making his Formula 1 debut the following season. His promotion to Ferrari in 2019 began a partnership that has grown stronger over the years.
Despite the challenges Ferrari has faced in its pursuit of championship glory, the team has continued to place its faith in Leclerc, who has emerged as one of the Scuderia's most important drivers of the modern era. He already ranks as Ferrari's second-most experienced Formula 1 driver and sits second on the team's all-time pole position list behind only Michael Schumacher.
'Being a Ferrari driver is a dream'
Reacting to the announcement, Leclerc, who is expected to come
under pressure from teammate Lewis Hamilton this weekend, expressed his pride in extending his stay with the team he has supported since childhood.
He 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."
Vasseur says it was a 'natural' decision to renew Leclerc's contract
Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur also welcomed the extension, highlighting Leclerc's growth both as a driver and as a leader within the organisation.
He said: "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 extension provides continuity for Ferrari as it looks to return to championship-winning form, with Leclerc remaining at the centre of the team's long-term plans and its ambition to bring Formula 1's biggest prizes back to Maranello.
Charles Leclerc on the podium at the Belgian GP - Photo:RacePictures