Leclerc on extending Ferrari contract with multi-year deal: "The answer was always clear"

Credit: Formula One

Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari have confirmed that home hero Charles Leclerc will be staying with the team on a new multi-year renewal.

The 28-year-old, currently in his eighth season with the Scuderia, has reaffirmed his faith in the Italian outfit with a contract that sees him extend his previous multi-year deal with the team.

Second only to Michael Schumacher in the number of races completed with Ferrari, Leclerc has secured eight wins and 52 podiums with the team. Most memorably, his long-sought home victory in Monaco two years ago and his two Monza wins have already etched him into Formula One's storied history, though the World Championship remains elusive.

In a statement shared on his social media handles, Leclerc expressed: "When I joined Ferrari, I was a kid living a dream. Like so many drivers before me, I grew up knowing that Ferrari was something bigger. IS something bigger. Not just a symbol. It is a passion that I felt long before I ever even got close to a red suit.

"When there is something you love and dream about, day and night, when that becomes reality.

It just can't mean only racing, it means family. And incredibly over the past ten years,

it has become just that. 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.

"I know that people will always question your decisions in F1. But when it came to this, for me, the answer was always clear."

The Monégasque driver continued by stating his firm belief in the foundational values and legacy of with Ferrari, adding: "This renewal is not only about the future. It is also about everything we have already lived together and the legacy we continue to carry.

"Being a Ferrari driver is a privilege and a responsibility that I never take for granted."

As Leclerc is set to remain at Ferrari for the foreseeable long-term future, he will be hoping for a chance to finally compete for the Drivers' Championship, one that the team has not had a proper taste of since early 2022.

For Leclerc to reaffirm his commitment to the team indicates his belief in Ferrari being able to soon deliver on that front. Though they have a competitive package this season, Ferrari have been no match for the ruthlessly dominant Mercedes cars. Yet with a completely new set of regulations, Ferrari and Leclerc will be hoping that their turn in the cycle will come sooner rather than later, as they seek to end their almost 20-year championship drought.