Leclerc signs new Ferrari deal and insists he never considered leaving Maranello

Charles Leclerc has signed a new multi-year contract with Ferrari and says he never genuinely entertained the idea of racing elsewhere, despite spending his entire Formula 1 career without a world championship. The deal is expected to keep the Monegasque driver at Maranello until at least 2028.

Leclerc has been part of the Ferrari programme since 2016 and made his Scuderia debut in 2019. Across 155 grands prix in red, he has taken 27 pole positions and eight race victories, with his most recent win coming at the 2024 United States Grand Prix. He currently sits third in the 2026 drivers’ standings.

“I’ve never really considered alternatives,” Leclerc told Motorsport in an exclusive interview. “There have certainly been conversations, because after 10 years in this paddock you build relationships that go beyond the professional sphere. Sometimes there are discussions that I consider natural, but I can confirm that those matters concern Nicolas much more than me.”

His manager Nicolas Todt handles any external approaches, and Leclerc was clear that his own focus has remained fixed on Ferrari throughout. “As far as I’m concerned — and I want to emphasize this — what I wanted to do has always been very clear.”

Central to that clarity is his relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur, with whom he won the GP3 and F2 titles at ART and made his F1 debut at Sauber. “We have a unique relationship, and I have great confidence that he’s the right person to bring Ferrari back to the top,” Leclerc said.

He also pointed to signs of technical progress at the team as a rational, rather than purely emotional, reason for staying. “We’re behind Mercedes, that’s true, but I see a lot of innovation. At Maranello there’s a group pushing hard, trying to think differently from the past, even outside the box. We’ve seen new solutions on the car, and that gave me even more confidence.”

Leclerc acknowledged that the absence of a title weighs on him, but framed his continued commitment as both a matter of loyalty and logic. “Beyond my love for Ferrari — which is obvious — there was also a rational evaluation. Just as there has been with every contract renewal,” he said.