Charles Leclerc has committed his near future to Scuderia Ferrari, with the team announcing his contract renewal on Wednesday — days before the Monegasque driver is set to race on the streets of his home city.
The timing could hardly be more charged. As Formula 1 cars begin arriving in Monte-Carlo for the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Grand Prix de Monaco 2026, with free practice getting underway on Friday and the race itself on Sunday 7th June, Leclerc heads into his home race with the security of a new long-term deal and, according to early market odds, as one of the favourites to win it.
A decade in red
Leclerc joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 as a teenager and has been in the Scuderia’s orbit ever since — through a Formula 2 title in 2017, his Formula 1 debut in 2018, and his full Ferrari seat from 2019. At 28, he is already the team’s second-most capped Formula 1 driver and second only to Michael Schumacher in pole positions.
In a personal letter shared on social media to mark the announcement, he described what the renewal means to him in terms that went well beyond contractual formality. “When I joined Ferrari, I was a kid living a dream,” he wrote. “Like so many drivers before me, I grew up knowing that Ferrari was something bigger. Not just a symbol. It is a passion that I felt long before I ever even got close to a red suit.”
‘It has become family’
The letter, signed simply “Forza Ferrari. Charles,” traced the arc of a relationship that has shaped his entire career — victories and painful near-misses alike. “Together, we’ve experienced some of the most emotional moments of my life. Victories I will never forget and difficult moments that hurt deeply. And maybe that is exactly what makes this bond so special.”
For Leclerc, the decision to stay was never really in question. “I know that people will always question your decisions in Formula 1. But when it came to this, for me, the answer was always clear.”
In his official statement, he was equally emotional. “I couldn’t be happier to continue this journey with Scuderia Ferrari HP. It has always been so much more than just a team to me. It’s the team I’ve loved and dreamt of being part of since I was a child, and after all these years it has become a second family.”
Vasseur: ‘Something very natural’
Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur said the renewal was a straightforward decision for the Scuderia. “Charles has been part of the Ferrari family for many years now and this renewal feels like something very natural for us. Over these seasons we have seen him grow, to become not only one of the strongest drivers in Formula 1, but also a person who is completely at one with the team and everything Ferrari represents.”
Ferrari currently sit second in the Constructors’ Championship behind Mercedes, with Leclerc heading into Monaco as one of the frontrunners on a circuit that has defined some of the most emotional chapters of his career — including his maiden home victory in 2024.
The length of the new contract has not been revealed publicly.
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Main photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre