Ferrari confirms: 'Leclerc and Sainz will stay, obviously'

A contract signing has not been announced (yet), but Ferrari fans need not fear: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will remain with the Italian team beyond the 2024 season. At least, this was stated by John Elkann, Ferrari's president, during an interview with investors.

Elkann's announcement comes as no surprise. Leclerc has already indicated on several occasions that he would like to extend his expiring commitment. While fellow driver Sainz is said to be interested in Audi - which will join Formula 1 in 2026 - the Spaniard is also keen to stay in Italian service. So Elkann now said both drivers will sign a new contract at Ferrari: "Sainz and Leclerc? They will stay, of course."

Leclerc eventually joined the F1 team via the Ferrari Academy. Before that, he spent one season driving for Sauber. Carlos Sainz was part of the Red Bull Junior Team for a long time. Unlike his former teammate Max Verstappen, he failed to make it to Red Bull Racing, after which he sought refuge at Renault, McLaren and now Ferrari.

Elkann also addressed Ferrari's performance during the past Formula 1 season. His team won one Grand Prix (in Singapore), but the overall feeling was still disappointing. "Ferrari’s season was disappointing, but the way it ended, we could almost have finished second and at the same time it was positive that in the last part of the championship, we were fighting for second place," said the Italian. "If you look at the number of poles Ferrari has taken, it’s a high number. We have to take that into account and move forward in the next championships and convert those pole positions into wins."