Fernando Alonso’s verdict on Charles Leclerc’s potential shows why he’s the perfect Aston Martin signing

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Charles Leclerc has been loyal to Ferrari throughout his racing career, but his patience is starting to be tested.

Another season has been and gone where Charles Leclerc hasn’t been in a position to challenge for the drivers’ championship.

Leclerc ended the 2024 campaign as the most in-form driver on the grid, outscoring Lando Norris and Max Verstappen and narrowly missing out on helping Ferrari win their first title since 2008.

This year, he’s yet to win a race, and Ferrari’s struggles can be summed up by Lewis Hamilton failing to stand on a Grand Prix podium since his move from Mercedes.

This has led to Leclerc being linked with a move to Aston Martin, which would suddenly see him thrust into the centre of the driver market movement many people are expecting heading into 2027.

F1 Oversteer understands Aston Martin are looking for two new drivers in 2027, and the opinions of technical chief Adrian Newey and current star Fernando Alonso explain exactly why the Monegasque driver would be the perfect signing to lead them into a new era of the sport.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Fernando Alonso once said Charles Leclerc had more potential than Sebastian Vettel

The 2023 season saw Verstappen and Red Bull dominate the campaign, winning every race except the Singapore Grand Prix.

However, Newey admitted that Leclerc should have won the Las Vegas Grand Prix, stating: “The grid was tight and the races were getting tighter.

“Austin, we were going to lose that. So, we took a gamble and pulled Max in to do an extra stop, and Max did the rest.

“Vegas, to be perfectly honest, [Leclerc] in the Ferrari was the quicker driver.

“Max made the difference there, for sure. So, by the end of the season – although we managed to win everything bar Singapore – everybody was snapping at our heels.”

On top of this, Alonso was speaking about Ferrari’s fortunes after he and Sebastian Vettel had left.

The two-time Spanish champion said, via Formula1News, in 2021: “A World Champion at home would have increased the pressure.

“But, after five years, it became clear that Seb couldn’t be their saviour [and] that Leclerc has more potential.

“Sainz must have seemed like the right driver to accompany Charles.

“They [Ferrari] move in a different dimension from any other team. There is sports management, the company, politics, and a lot of people involved in the decisions.

“We didn’t win, of course, but we came close to the World Championship twice, fighting until the last race. I say this because nobody remembers second places.

“In 2017 and 2018, it happened with Vettel. The truth is that in the last seven years, only one team [Mercedes] has won.”

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll racing for their Formula 1 futures in 2026

Aston Martin haven’t been publicly courting Leclerc, or any other top driver, just yet, unlike Mercedes’ approach when trying to sign Verstappen.

However, Alonso and his teammate, Lance Stroll, will know that if next year’s Aston Martin is competitive, then they’ll need to perform at the highest level to retain their seats.

Stroll’s unique relationship with his father running the team offers him some protection.

However, he’s been outqualified by his more experienced teammate at every race this season, which isn’t a good enough record to justify a position in a competitive outfit.

Alonso has addressed his potential retirement, but he won’t give up an Aston Martin seat easily if he sniffs a chance of finally winning his 33rd Grand Prix.

The arrival of Leclerc, or any driver of his calibre, would immediately lift Aston Martin’s standing within the paddock.