Charles Leclerc has dismissed that he will look to Lando Norris’ title triumph with McLaren as an example when evaluating his own position in Formula 1 with Ferrari.
Norris secured the podium that he required in Abu Dhabi to end the campaign in which he became McLaren’s most capped driver with a debut Drivers’ Championship.
But while his commitment to McLaren has culminated in him bagging the ultimate prize, there were times earlier in his career when he was implored to go elsewhere.
However, the Briton turned down Red Bull’s repeated overtures to remain with McLaren, where he has since become a multiple-time race winner and World Champion.
Norris’ crowning moment coincided with Ferrari closing out the season without a single win, having long been consigned to seeing its title drought since 2008 extend.
Leclerc, who has been limited to eight victories in 150 starts in red, has signalled that Ferrari’s initial competitiveness under F1’s new rules could determine his future.
And the Monegasque has denied that witnessing Norris’ patience with McLaren being rewarded will have a bearing on whether he decides to see out his present deal.
“No, I don’t think I look at Lando in a way that, ‘OK, if he did those choices, then it makes sense for me to make those choices’,” Leclerc told media including Motorsport Week. “I base my choices based on my experience, what I see, what I believe is right for me and the team.
“As I said, I’ve always loved Ferrari and this is where I want to dedicate my time and my effort in order to bring them back to winning, and that’s what makes me stay, more than seeing that sticking to one team can make you win because of Lando.
“I mean, they’ve done an incredible job, but if we don’t do as good a job or a better job, then it won’t happen with me. So, yeah, I don’t really look at Lando for that.”
Leclerc hopes Ferrari choice pays dividends
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur revealed last month that the team pivoted resources to next season’s car in April amid the realisation that it wouldn’t beat McLaren in 2025.
Leclerc hopes that the Italian marque’s choice to compromise its prospects in the most recent campaign has boosted the chances that it will begin 2026 on the pace.
Asked whether Ferrari can turn over a new page with extensive changes to the regulations, Leclerc answered: “I really hope so. If I’m completely honest, I don’t know. Because there’s been so much change from this year to next year.
“Obviously, our target is to have everything right. But there are so many small things that can make a big differentiator in terms of competitiveness.
“That will have to get all these things right. At the moment, that’s where all our focus is. I feel like this year we sacrificed that end of that season to be focused fully on next year.
“So there’s all the elements that tell me that we are working in the right direction and properly. However, everybody probably had that feeling and only time will tell next year.
“But yeah, I don’t really think about how it will pan out. I more think about the process and what we can do in order to be as ready as possible.”
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