Reports in Italy have claimed Charles Leclerc has agreed phrases on a brand new five-year deal to 2029, with Carlos Sainz additionally in winter talks; Ferrari chairman John Elkann stated final week that “they will stay with us” with reference the crew’s present drivers
Last Updated: 05/12/23 4:43pm
Both Toto Wolff and Christian Horner say they would not be stunned if, as has been reported in Italy, Charles Leclerc agrees a brand new long-term take care of Ferrari
Both Toto Wolff and Christian Horner say they would not be stunned if, as has been reported in Italy, Charles Leclerc agrees a brand new long-term take care of Ferrari
Red Bull’s Christian Horner and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff agree it would solely be pure for rivals Ferrari to join Charles Leclerc to a brand new long-term deal.
Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday reported that five-time race winner Leclerc, whose present contract runs to the tip of 2024, had reached settlement on a five-year deal to lengthen his keep at Maranello to 2029.
Team-mate Carlos Sainz, the one non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023, can be out of contract at the tip of subsequent season with the newspaper reporting he’s looking for a two-year extension in his personal renewal talks.
Ferrari have described the report as “speculation”.
But final week, in a doubtlessly telling disclosure, John Elkann, Ferrari’s chairman, did state at mum or dad firm Exor’s investor day “they will stay with us” with reference to Leclerc and Sainz.
Leclerc, who completed the 2023 marketing campaign notably strongly, has been considered as Ferrari’s main mild ever since they handed him his present five-year time period at his spectacular first season at the crew subsequent to Sebastian Vettel, who at the time had been their undisputed star driver.
The 26-year-old has been loosely linked with each Mercedes and Red Bull previously, have been he to ever look elsewhere and both crew have a seat vacant, however Leclerc has commonly spoken of his need to win with Ferrari, who final gained the F1 drivers’ title in 2007.
When requested concerning the Ferrari renewal report by Sky Sports News, Horner stated: “It’s totally natural.
“He’s an ideal driver and I’m positive they will need to maintain maintain of him.
“They’d be crazy if they didn’t.”
Asked the identical query, Mercedes counterpart Wolff stated:” I don’t know anything about the contractual situation there, but he’s a great guy and why wouldn’t Ferrari sign him?”
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Any new long-term deal for Leclerc at Maranello would definitely mirror nicely on the Monegasque’s confidence within the crew’s potential to ship him a automobile to problem for his maiden world championship in future years.
Red Bull completely dominated the 2023 marketing campaign, profitable all however one race when Sainz triumphed in Singapore, however Ferrari crew boss Frederic Vasseur took encouragement from his squad’s development via the 12 months after a troublesome begin.
Speaking after the season-ending Abu Dhabi, when Leclerc completed second to Max Verstappen for the second weekend operating however Ferrari have been pipped to second within the Constructors’ Championship by Mercedes after chasing their rivals down within the second half of the season, Vasseur stated of 2024: “I do not know if it is going to be higher subsequent 12 months – no one is aware of. You know what you’re doing however on this enterprise it is all the time a matter of comparability.
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“You could make one second [improvement] but when the others are doing 1.5 [seconds] you look silly. If they’re doing 5 tenths you look the hero. At the tip of the day it is a matter of comparability, let’s concentrate on ourselves and attempting to do the very best.
“I don’t want to be too optimistic or too pessimistic. I think it was probably one of the issues that we had last season [being too optimistic]. We just have to be focused on what we are doing and not to think about the outcome of the championship before race one or to see where the prize-giving ceremony is before Bahrain.”
But pointing to the progress Ferrari made since late summer time, Vasseur added: “Red Bull is still faster than us and we still need to improve. But at least compared to Zandvoort [in August] or to some other events we did a big step forward.”
24 races in 2024! Watch each spherical of subsequent season dwell on Sky Sports F1, beginning with the Bahrain Grand Prix from February 29-March 2. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW
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