The Monegasque Charles Leclerc, 5e of the Formula 1 world championship in 2023, has extended his contract with Ferrari “beyond the 2024 season”, the Italian team announced on Thursday, without further details.
“I am very happy to know that I will wear the Scuderia Ferrari suit for several more seasons,” reacted Leclerc, whose contract expired at the end of the season.
After starting in F1 in 2018 with Sauber, Leclerc, 26, joined the Scuderia the following year. Author of 23 pole positions, he has reached 30 podiums since his debut with Ferrari and has five Grand Prix victories, finishing vice-world drivers’ champion behind Dutchman Max Verstappen in 2022.
“This team has been my second family since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting against all odds over the last five years,” continued the Monegasque, quoted in a statement.
Last year, Leclerc said in an interview with AFP that he wanted to be crowned world champion with the legendary Prancing Horse team, which finished 3e in the constructors’ world championship this season, far from Red Bull.
“The situation is not the one I would have wanted to be in today, but that doesn’t make me forget the fact that this is my dream team — and that my end goal is to be world champion with Ferrari,” he assured in September.
The next F1 season begins on March 2 in Bahrain after three days of testing on the Gulf island (February 21-23).
Until then, the Scuderia will lift the veil on February 13 on its 2024 single-seater which will be driven by Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, committed until the end of the 2024 season.
For the moment, no announcement has been made regarding a possible contract extension for the Spaniard.