During the presentation of the SF-23 challenger, which was held on February 14 at the Fiorano circuit, the Ferrari fans repeatedly showed their affection for Charles Leclerc, a driver capable of taking five victories and eighteen pole positions with the Prancing Horse in recent years. Some of these successes are unforgettable for the fans of the Maranello team, such as the one taken in the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit back in 2019 in front of the cheering crowd.
The 25-year-old Monegasque has shown in these four years in Maranello that he has all the credentials to be the current and future point of reference for the Scuderia, and Ferrari fans cyclically ask themselves whether or not it is appropriate to select him, publicly and with clarity, as the first driver of the team. But along the lines of what Mattia Binotto did, the new team principal Frederic Vasseur also ensured equal support for both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in the first part of the new season, although he specified that, in case of one driver will clearly distance himself in the world championship standings, he does not rule out giving the status of first driver to one of the two.
In terms of ambitions and expectations for the new Formula 1 season, the Monegasque driver admitted that 2023 will be a key year, given that Ferrari’s undisclosed hope is to aim for the world title. But it will, in all probability, also be very important in the definition of Charles Leclerc’s future. The Monegasque is currently linked to Ferrari by an agreement (signed in 2019) which is available until the end of the 2024 Formula 1 campaign.
In this regard, there was a question addressed to the 25-year-old F1 driver during the presentation ceremony of the SF-23 challenger, a questioned regarding his contract renewal with Scuderia Ferrari:
“I mean, I think for us now its very important to be competitive. Then, speaking of my renewal with Ferrari, it’s not something I’ve given particular thought to yet. It’s not urgent, there’s still a long way to go: two years. Naturally, I’ll do my best. Not for the negotiations, but for myself and for the team. And then, of course, I’ll know… you’ll know for sure when the negotiations start. But it’s not the time yet.” – the Monegasque driver pointed out with a smile.
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As has been the case for some time now, important contracts such as that of Charles Leclerc are negotiated well in advance of their deadline, also to prevent other teams from becoming interested in a possible move: “The interest of Toto Wolff is not a mystery to anyone“, Leo Turrini wrote in today’s edition of Quotidiano Nazionale, outlining a possible scenario: “Hamilton, especially if he managed to win the longed-for eighth title, would retire. At that point who do you think Mercedes would go looking for?”.
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