According to Christian Horner, Ferrari would be acting irrationally if they didn't secure Charles Leclerc for another five years, regardless of the current reports that a deal is already in place. Leclerc's time with the team began in 2019 after his time at Alfa Romeo, but the partnership has faced more hurdles than expected. While his first season was promising with two wins, the following two years were winless for Ferrari, largely attributed to the fallout from an engine-related controversy.
Christian Horner says the Scuderia would be “crazy” not to sign Charles Leclerc to a five-year contract extension, despite suggestions that the Monegasque driver has agreed to one. Leclerc joined Ferrari in 2019 after a year with Alfa Romeo, but his tenure with the Scuderia has not produced the results that either the driver or the team hoped for. Despite winning two Grands Prix in his first season with the team, Ferrari went winless in 2020 and 2021, presumably due to an undisclosed penalty for an engine cheating scandal.
Leclerc found his way back to the winner's circle last season, securing three victories and claiming second place in the overall Drivers' Championship. However, any dreams Ferrari had of challenging Red Bull in 2023 were crushed by the utter dominance of the Milton Keynes-based team. Despite showing great speed with five pole positions, Leclerc couldn't convert them into race wins. This led many pundits and retired drivers to suggest the 26-year-old look for a new team, with some even speculating about a mid-season swap with Lewis Hamilton. That didn't happen, as Hamilton stayed with Mercedes, and it now looks like Leclerc is set to remain with Ferrari through 2029. Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the driver has agreed to a five-year term, starting with a €25m salary that is expected to quadruple by the end of the contract.
Former drivers and analysts urged the 26-year-old to explore greener pastures, with a mid-season switch with Lewis Hamilton being floated. However, Hamilton re-signed with Mercedes, and Leclerc is anticipated to stay a Ferrari driver until the end of the 2029 season. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the five-time Grand Prix winner has agreed to a new five-year contract with a €25m beginning pay that will quadruple over the term.
This agreement keeps Leclerc in a Ferrari seat until the end of 2029, although reports suggest there are performance-based exit clauses available after the third year. Ferrari officially brushed these reports off as mere rumors, yet Chairman John Elkann hinted during a board meeting that both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are part of the team's future. Horner agrees with this direction, noting that keeping a talent like Leclerc is a complete no-brainer for any team.
In a previous interview, Leclerc expressed his deep loyalty to the team, stating that the prestige of Ferrari is such that he wouldn't swap places with anyone else on the grid. While he admitted that winning the World Championship is his ultimate goal—just as it is for every driver—he insisted that Ferrari is where he wants to be. He mentioned that driving for the Scuderia was a lifelong dream and that he is committed to seeing his mission through to a world title with the team.