On January 25, Ferrari officially announced the positive conclusion of the renewal negotiation with Charles Leclerc, committing the Monegasque driver once again to the Prancing Horse. Leclerc has entrusted his future to the Red Team, with the hope of realizing his dream of becoming a world champion with the most prestigious Formula 1 team.
The duration of the new agreement was not disclosed, with the press release vaguely stating a “multi-year extension.” However, there is no doubt that Ferrari’s leadership has great confidence in Charles Leclerc, who joined the Academy in March 2016 and entered Formula 1 in 2017, first with apprenticeship at Sauber and then transferring to the Maranello team from the following year.
And Carlos Sainz?
Today’s edition of the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, by Fulvio Solms, has provided an update on the renewal negotiation for Carlos Sainz, which seems to have been put on hold. According to the journalist from the Italian newspaper, the Spanish driver “would also be ready to sign,” but a knot has emerged in Ferrari’s considerations: “Carlos Sainz is ambitious: he works to win the world title. But this tenacity is becoming a problem in a Ferrari that is Leclerc-centric, a position never admitted and which, moreover, is not scandalous.”
In particular, it is explained that “Fred Vasseur has stiffened, adopting the line of President Elkann, who wants a team with a single leader, and this leader has to be Charles Leclerc.”
Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport wrote that “the negotiation has, therefore, become complicated, and today we wouldn’t bet a penny on an imminent renewal.” The sports newspaper has finally emphasized that in the thoughts of team principal Frederic Vasseur, there is Oliver Bearman as Charles Leclerc’s future teammate. But before Bearman, there will be a gap to fill for at least two years.
