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Christian Danner believes that Charles Leclerc would have more accolades to his name had he raced for Red Bull instead of Ferrari.
The Monegasque driver is in his eighth season with the Maranello outfit in 2026, but he has not come close to challenging for the title. Ferrari have not been able to provide a competitive machine, and strategic errors and mistakes from Leclerc have not helped.
After a winless 2025 campaign, reports emerged that the 28-year-old could be considering his future. He is contracted to Ferrari until 2029, but Leclerc could break his contract in 2026 amid interest from their rivals.
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In 2026, Ferrari have a decent package with the SF-26, with the team finishing third in every race thus far. Leclerc is enjoying a strong battle with Lewis Hamilton, but the car is not quick enough to challenge Mercedes at the moment.
This, according to Danner, will be playing on his mind as he thinks about his future. The former F1 driver believes that things could have been different had he raced for Red Bull.
Christian Danner thinks Charles Leclerc would have ‘major successes’ if he raced for Red Bull over Ferrari
Red Bull contacted Leclerc’s manager last year as it was feared that Max Verstappen could walk away from the team. Speaking via Motorsport-Magazin, he thinks that the Ferrari star could have had ‘major successes’ if he moved to Milton Keynes.
“Charles Leclerc is indeed underrated when it comes to his actual performance,” he said. “This is partly down to the fact that the regulations are what they are this year, and he can no longer show in qualifying what he’s actually capable of.
“Of course, it’s also down to Ferrari, no question about it. They’ve obviously kept putting a bit of a brake on things time and again. A Leclerc who had, say, driven for Red Bull or McLaren for years would certainly have a few major successes to his name by now.
“And, on the other hand, there’s one thing we mustn’t forget. Leclerc is also a bit of a self-made man, so staying at Ferrari has various advantages and various disadvantages. I reckon he knows exactly what he’s capable of.
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“And what’s even more important, the people at Ferrari know that too, and they pay him a salary to match. So, yes, our viewer is right. He’s a bit underrated there.
“On the other hand, he’s so well paid that I actually think he’s ended up in a compromise that isn’t the worst, though I’m absolutely certain he keeps asking himself: ‘Isn’t there another solution? Can’t I go somewhere where things are moving in the right direction?’
“But we’ve known just how difficult that is for a long time now – not just since Fernando Alonso joined, or since Max Verstappen joined this year.”
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Christian Danner thinks Charles Leclerc has made the ‘smartest solution’ with F1 future
With Verstappen leaving F1 at the end of 2026 being a very real possibility, Red Bull are now more likely to sign Carlos Sainz over his former Ferrari teammate.
Danner thinks Leclerc has made the ‘smartest solution’, however, by waiting to decide on his future. Ferrari have made progress in 2026 and could give him a winning package.
“Honestly, I don’t think that’s the stupidest approach he’s taking, because it’s quite possible that Ferrari will get the hang of the corner at some point and then he’ll be in the right place.
“And I think it’s clear to me that if I were in a situation like that I’d think about it: ‘Right, where do I actually want to go?’
“Well, I want to go to Mercedes, but only since this year. Last year it wasn’t that exciting, and I think waiting is probably the smartest solution, which is probably what I would have chosen as well.”
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