Alexander KnightCharles Leclerc reaffirms his commitment to Ferrari, signing a contract extension after thorough deliberation and discussions with team leadership.
Charles Leclerc signed a contract extension for several seasons at the end of last year. However, the Ferrari driver insists he weighed the pros and cons, contemplating his place within the Scuderia, but discussions with Frédéric Vasseur reassured him.
“Even though, on the track, I like to let my instinct speak, when you make this kind of decision regarding a contract, you obviously need to think very rationally. I love Ferrari and I think I will always be grateful for what they have done for me since the GP3 year, by giving me the chance to move up to F1,” notes Leclerc.
“The project has to make sense, as I’m also aware that if I believe in the project, I will obviously be more motivated as a driver. So, I had to ask myself if this was the best place where I saw myself trying to have the best chance of winning the championship in the coming years.”
“I didn’t have to think much because, as I said, we have these very long discussions with Fred, what we want to achieve, how we want to achieve it. I’m totally in, I really believe in the vision he has for Ferrari.”
“We are both aligned on how we want to win a world championship as soon as possible, so it was probably more rational than last time, as I make more decisions with my heart than my head, but this time it’s the project that is behind.”
‘It’s impossible to know’ where Red Bull stands
Charles Leclerc does not want to predict the outcomes of the upcoming season, especially the balance of power between Ferrari and Red Bull. The Scuderia driver explains that the lack of complete race simulation from their rivals prevents having a clearer idea.
“The fact is that Red Bull is one of the only teams not to have done a complete race simulation during testing, which normally helps us understand exactly where we stand,” Leclerc stated. “It’s very hard to know where they stand. We did one, so we know where we are.”
“Some teams have done races, which allows us to have an idea of their position, but that’s not the case with Red Bull. Being in contention for many more victories would certainly be a step forward and it would be a positive season.”
Leclerc Aims to Sustain Ferrari Momentum
Leclerc confirms that the goal at the beginning of this year will be to keep the same momentum as at the end of last season: “We need to continue the momentum from the second half of last year, even if the season was not positive overall, as we started well below our expectations at the beginning of 2023.”
“The second part of the year was much more positive, the team and everyone in the paddock felt we were in a positive spiral and we were moving towards better things with a very clear vision of where we wanted to go and how to get there.”
“And that’s exactly how we need to approach the season, continue in this way, with a clear vision, and significant advancements every time we put something in the car, which was the case in the second half of last year.”
Leclerc Ferrari Contract Extension. Leclerc Ferrari Contract Extension
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