Ferrari has locked down five-time race winner Charles Leclerc with a contract extension that takes him beyond the 2024 Formula 1 season. Anyone else feel… kinda sorry for him?
Leclerc made his debut with the team in 2019, but his time with the Italian outfit has been plagued by poor reliability and comically bad strategy errors that have cost him countless victories and podiums. His old five-year deal was set to run out at the end of 2024, but it’s not clear how long this extension will tie him down for. Perhaps there’s a sneaky exit clause in case Lewis Hamilton retires and Mercedes comes calling?
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Lights out and away we go: Season six of Drive to Survive drops next month
Formula 1’s Spanish GP will be held in Madrid beginning 2026
The closest Leclerc has come to a title challenge so far was in 2022, when Ferrari began the new era of ground-effect aero with a car that was—initially, at least—a match for Red Bull and Max Verstappen. But errors, breakdowns, slow development, and a number of driver errors meant his campaign unraveled quicker than an FIA ethics investigation, and last year’s car could only muster one race win—and that went to teammate Carlos Sainz.
Even so, Leclerc has long been established as one of the quickest drivers in F1, and has racked up 23 pole positions to date despite rarely having the fastest car over a race distance. But in six seasons in the sport—and five of those with Ferrari—his entire career has yielded as many victories as Verstappen managed in the final 35 days of last season. Ouch.
“I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come,” said Leclerc. “To race for this team has been my dream since I was three years old: I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend’s apartment at Sainte Devote corner and I would always look out for the red cars.
“This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years. However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race. My dream remains that of winning the world championship with Ferrari and I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy.”
Team principal Fred Vasseur added: “Charles’s bond to the Scuderia goes beyond that of just a driver and a team, as he has been part of the Ferrari family for eight years now, dating back to a time before he first sported the Prancing Horse emblem on his race suit. His values and those of our team are intertwined and so it was natural for us to be in agreement on extending our collaboration.
“We know him for his incessant desire to push himself to the limit and we appreciate his extraordinary abilities when it comes to fighting and overtaking in a race. We are determined to give Charles a winning car and I know that his determination and commitment are elements that can make the difference in helping us reach our goals.”
Meanwhile, Lando Norris has also committed his future to McLaren by signing a multi-year contract renewal with the team he made his F1 debut with five years ago. Norris’s new deal is almost as cryptic as that of Leclerc, with the team only confirming that its driver lineup would stay the same “until at least the end of 2026”: Oscar Piastri reached a three-year agreement with McLaren back in September.
Presumably, that means there are some discreet exit clauses that muddy the waters a bit: Norris’ old contract wasn’t going to expire until the end of 2025, but the 24-year-old was still heavily linked to a move to Red Bull when Sergio Perez was struggling for form last season.
“It’s a great feeling to be staying in papaya,” said Norris. “I’ve grown up with McLaren and feel at home here, the team are like family to me. The journey so far has been exciting, we’ve had ups and downs, but last season showed our desire to get back to competing at the front of the grid.
“The work Zak, Andrea, and the whole team have put in over the last year has been incredible and I’m confident in challenging for wins with McLaren. I’m excited to create more amazing memories and continue working hard with everyone at MTC for the next few years.”
Last year, McLaren’s season started abysmally but turned on a dime when a major aero upgrade catapulted the MCL60 up the grid: The team overhauled Aston Martin to finish fourth in the constructors’ standings, and no one finished runner-up to Max Verstappen more often than Norris in 2023. And with a new wind tunnel, a next-generation racing simulator, a new composites facility, and various new staff members joining the team, McLaren is confident it can give Norris a car capable of that elusive first F1 win.
“I’m delighted that we’re continuing our relationship with Lando for multiple years to come,” said team CEO Zak Brown. “It’s been a fantastic journey over the last six years, and he has shown fantastic commitment and desire to push the team forward and get McLaren back to the front of the grid.
“Last season we saw the fundamental role Lando played with the impressive turnaround in results and I’m looking forward to continuing this push forward together with lots more podiums.”
NOTE: These articles first appeared on TopGear.com on January 25 and January 27. Minor edits have been made.
