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Leclerc extends Ferrari contract beyond 2024
Charles Leclerc will remain with Ferrari beyond the end of this season after signing a contract extension.
The Monegasque driver’s previous deal had just entered its final year, but he has committed his future to Ferrari having come through the Ferrari Driver Academy and made his debut for the team in 2019 after just one season in Formula 1 with Sauber. No length was given by either side when it comes to the extension, but Leclerc suggests it's a multi-year deal.
“I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come,” Leclerc said. “To race for this team has been my dream since I was three years old: I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend’s apartment at Ste Devote corner and I would always look out for the red cars.
“This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years. However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race.
“My dream remains that of winning the world championship with Ferrari and I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy.”
Leclerc has won five races for Ferrari and taken pole position on 23 occasions, and team principal Fred Vasseur says there is a desire to provide the 26-year-old with better machinery to add to his victory tally.
“Charles’ bond to the Scuderia goes beyond that of just a driver and a team, as he has been part of the Ferrari family for eight years now, dating back to a time before he first sported the Prancing Horse emblem on his race suit,” Vasseur said. “His values and those of our team are intertwined and so it was natural for us to be in agreement on extending our collaboration.
“We know him for his incessant desire to push himself to the limit and we appreciate his extraordinary abilities when it comes to fighting and overtaking in a race. We are determined to give Charles a winning car and I know that his determination and commitment are elements that can make the difference in helping us reach our goals.”
Leclerc’s deal means there are now six drivers with contracts beyond the end of this season as he joins Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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