Mario Andretti indicated he would welcome Charles Leclerc to the Cadillac Formula 1 team in the future, branding himself a “big fan” of the Monegasque driver.
Leclerc is enduring another miserable season with Ferrari, so far failing to achieve a single Grand Prix victory, with five podiums and one solitary pole position the best of his 2025.
The 27-year-old is undoubtedly one of the most talented drivers on the grid right now, and his attributes would be a huge asset to any team.
However, Leclerc shares a mutual affection with the tifosi, who see him as one of its golden boys. Leclerc himself has also been outspoken in his desire to achieve a World Championship with the Scuderia, recently saying his “love” for the team has seen him withstand interest from any other team in the grid.
Last week, Leclerc’s manager, whilst not citing his own man, indicated that the driver market for 2027 could be “very hot”, given there will be clarity by then as to which teams will be competitive once next year’s new regulations take hold.
Cadillac has aimed high with its 2026 line-up, when the team will take to the grid for the first time, with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez behind the wheel.
Andretti, who sits on the Silverstone-based squad‘s board, told La Gazzetta dello Sport some of his opinion on current drivers, before heaping praise on Leclerc and indicating his willingness to sign him in the future.
“Verstappen is very strong,” he said. “I like Piastri for his grit, but it seems to me that at McLaren, for some reason – I don’t know why – they favour Lando Norris.
“I’m a big fan of Leclerc; if he really wanted to change teams one day, I’d take him to Cadillac straight away. Ferrari is Ferrari, and sooner or later it will come back. Always.”
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