Leclerc Commits Future to Ferrari with New Long-Term Contract

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has finalized a new long-term agreement with the Scuderia, a move that arrives just as the team prepares for his home race in Monaco this weekend. The 28-year-old Monegasque previously signed a contract in 2024, but this latest extension ensures his presence with the Italian manufacturer for the upcoming seasons.

Since making his debut with Ferrari in 2019, Leclerc has raced in 155 Grand Prix events, securing eight victories. He currently sits third in the drivers' standings. His record at the Circuit de Monaco is particularly impressive; over the last six years, he has claimed pole position three times, started from second place twice, and third once.

"I couldn’t be happier to continue this journey with Scuderia Ferrari HP," Leclerc stated. "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."

He added, "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."

Leclerc’s path to the pinnacle of motorsport began when he joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016. After capturing the Formula 2 championship in 2017, he made his F1 debut in 2018 with Sauber. He is now the team’s second-most experienced driver in the modern era, trailing only Michael Schumacher. Leclerc also holds the record for the second-highest number of pole positions (27), behind Schumacher’s 58.

The new contract is expected to allow Leclerc to surpass Schumacher’s record of 179 starts for Ferrari, though overtaking the German’s 58 pole positions remains a significant challenge.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur praised the driver’s evolution and integration with the team. "Charles has been part of the Ferrari family for many years now and this renewal feels like something very natural for us," Vasseur said. "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."

Analysis of the situation suggests that while the renewal is a sensible move for Leclerc, his ultimate objective remains out of reach. Leclerc marked the announcement with a social media video expressing his deep affection for the team, noting that joining Ferrari felt like "living a dream" and describing the organization as "family."

"Maybe that is exactly what makes this moment so special. For me, it's always been clear. The dream is still alive, and I'm proud to continue chasing it together," he said.

However, that dream of a world championship remains elusive. Since joining the team in 2019, Leclerc has proven himself to be among the sport's elite, yet he has won only eight races. This statistic highlights a stark contrast between his raw speed—often cited by peers as perhaps the best in qualifying—and Ferrari’s historical struggle to convert that pace into race wins over the last two decades. While the new regulations introduced this season offered renewed hope, they have yet to yield the desired results. Sources indicate that Leclerc’s previous contract was not set to expire this year, confirming that this agreement is an extension rather than a standard renewal.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-03 07:17:11 UTC