Charles Leclerc said he turned down offers to leave Ferrari because he believes team principal Frederic Vasseur can bring the team back to winning ways.
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Ferrari confirmed this week that Leclerc has signed a new contract to remain with the team. He joined Ferrari from Sauber in 2019 after entering Formula 1 through the Ferrari young driver programme.
Leclerc said one reason he stayed is simple: “I love the team – I think that’s pretty obvious from the outside.”
“It’s been eight years with the Formula 1 team, 10 years with Ferrari as a whole. They were one of the first to believe in me and helped me get to where I am today.”
Beyond loyalty, he emphasised his belief in the project and in Vasseur’s leadership. “I believe in the project most of all. I think with Fred we have a very, very good relationship and I strongly believe that he’s the person that will be able to bring Ferrari back to the top.”
After the first five rounds Leclerc sits third in the drivers’ championship, though he is 56 points behind leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He admitted Ferrari had hoped to be more competitive following this season’s new technical rules.
“It’s been a good start to the season,” he said, “but obviously not as good as we would want because we target the world championship.
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“There’s been lots of innovation on the car. We know where we are lacking, and that’s probably more on the engine side. We’ve got an upgrade plan coming and hopefully it will help us get back to where we want to be.”
Leclerc credited Vasseur—whom he worked with at Sauber in 2018—with much of his confidence in Ferrari’s future. Vasseur replaced Mattia Binotto as Ferrari team principal at the start of 2023.
Leclerc said the direction Vasseur has set is already visible in the development of Ferrari’s 2026 car. “I’m very onboard with his vision and I really believe in Fred,” he explained.
“This is the first car he has projected together with the team and we are seeing lots of innovation. We have a clear, medium-term vision—not overly long, because we all want to win as quickly as possible—but a realistic plan to return to the top as soon as we can. I’m fully behind that and that’s what makes me believe in this project more than ever.”
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