After “fighting through thick and thin” together, a joint statement from Scuderia Ferrari and Monaco-born Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc has confirmed that the 26-year-old will continue his association with the Maranello marque beyond the 2024 race season.
The Scuderia Ferrari team released a much-awaited communiqué on Thursday 25th January confirming the contract extension, which will add an unspecified amount of time to Leclerc’s affiliation with the Italian manufacturer. Leclerc’s contract had been due to wind up at the end of this year’s racing.
“Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that it has extended its contract with Charles Leclerc who therefore will continue to drive for the Italian team in the Formula 1 World Championship beyond the 2024 season,” reads the statement. “A product of the Academy, Charles’ association with the Maranello marque goes back to before his time in Formula 1 as he joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016. After a dominant performance in the 2017 Formula 2 championship, the Monegasque then spent a year learning his trade at Sauber before first racing with the Scuderia in 2019. That year he became the youngest driver in Scuderia’s history to win a Grand Prix.”
See more: Video: The Monaco Grand Prix through the eyes of Charles Leclerc
Leclerc, who has five race wins, 23 pole positions, 30 podiums and 104 starts in the Ferrari red to his name, says, “I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come. To race for this team has been my dream since I was three years old: I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend’s apartment at Ste. Devote corner and I would always look out for the red cars… We have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years. However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start.”
The 26-year-old goes on to reaffirm that his dream “remains that of winning the World Championship with Ferrari”, adding, “I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy.”
Team Principal Fréd Vasseur, who was at Sauber during Leclerc’s junior days, has also welcomed the news of the contract extension, saying, “His values and those of our team are intertwined and so it was natural for us to be in agreement on extending our collaboration. We know him for his incessant desire to push himself to the limit and we appreciate his extraordinary abilities when it comes to fighting and overtaking in a race.”
The former motorsports engineer adds, “We are determined to give Charles a winning car and I know that his determination and commitment are elements that can make the difference in helping us reach our goals.”
See more: Formula One: Charles Leclerc earned €8,831 per lap last season
The next big date in the calendar for Scuderia Ferrari and Leclerc will be the unveiling of his 2024 car, which sports the number 16, on Tuesday 13th February.
The F1 racing season will get underway in Bahrain between Thursday 29th February and Saturday 2nd March. Leclerc will race on home turf in the Principality on Sunday 26th May at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Join the Monaco Life community – sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, and follow us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.
Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre