Charles Leclerc has committed his long-term future to Ferrari’s Formula 1 team by signing a bumper five-year contract extension, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Leclerc has been associated with Ferrari since March 2016, graduating through the ranks to be promoted to the senior F1 team after only a single season in the top flight.
The Monegasque instantly delivered at the sharp end, delivering two victories – including Ferrari’s first at Monza in nine years – alongside outscoring four-time World Champion team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
Those exploits earned Leclerc an extensive five-year deal, the longest in Ferrari history. But with that set to expire at the end of 2024, Ferrari is reportedly keen to tie Leclerc down.
Speaking earlier this week, Ferrari president John Elkann confirmed that both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will receive extensions. “Sainz and Leclerc? They will stay, of course.”
A report in Italy suggests that an announcement is “imminent” regarding Leclerc’s new contract, which would see him earn €25m, to double to €50m by the final year.
Leclerc has endured three winless campaigns at Ferrari and has recorded five victories during his time with the senior team, despite registering 23 pole positions.
While Ferrari began the latest rules cycle in 2022 with the fastest car, the Italian marque was rapidly outdeveloped and slumped to third in the Constructors’ standings this year.
Therefore, Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed that performance-related exit clauses will be included in the terms and those will become active from the third year of the deal.
Prior to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell renewing through 2025, Leclerc had been entertained by Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff as an option for the German outfit.
On the other side of the Ferrari garage, the future of Sainz, who also renewed until the end of 2024 midway through last season, is supposedly less clearcut than Leclerc.
Sainz became the only non-Red Bull victor during the 2023 campaign when he converted pole position in Singapore, but Ferrari is less eager to retain him long-term.
Despite Gazzetta dello Sport divulging that Sainz is set on remaining in the team, the report publicises that Ferrari is against offering him the two-year contract he desires.
Instead, it outlines that Ferrari would be prepared to offer the Spaniard a one-year extension to assess the driver market, with Lando Norris an attractive option.
Norris, who has only competed in F1 with McLaren, is currently under contract with the Woking-based entry through 2025 and has spoken of his intent to remain with the side.
Meanwhile, Sainz has been touted as a possible candidate to join the Sauber operation, which will transition into a complete Audi works entry from 2026. But the 29-year-old rebuffed those reports.
“It surprises me a lot, hearing things about 2026 when I don’t even have a contract for 2025,” he told Spanish newspaper Marca back in April.
“It surprises me that people invent things so much. In some ways, it makes me laugh. In other ways, it annoys me that there are these uncorroborated rumours.
“Nobody will ever go to that journalist (that started the rumour) and verify it.
“Because the aim is to stay at Ferrari for many years, I am very comfortable here, I’m living a dream, and this is my objective.”
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