Charles Leclerc’s camp has made ‘no secret’ of contacting winless F1 team about 2027 Ferrari exit

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Charles Leclerc is starting to doubt if he will ever win an F1 drivers’ title with Ferrari, having seen the Scuderia fall short despite their big hopes entering the 2025 season.

The Maranello outfit had believed the 2025 F1 season could finally be the year in which they lifted another F1 drivers’ championship or constructors’ title before a wheel turned in anger. But their optimism would not make it past pre-season and has now deteriorated completely.

McLaren won the 2025 constructors’ title at last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, which the Woking crew left boasting a 352-point lead over Ferrari in third place. Leclerc also only ranks fifth in the drivers’ standings as the lead Ferrari man with a 163-point deficit to Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc has contended for the drivers’ title just once after emerging as an early contender in 2022. But while the Monegasque ended the 2022 F1 season in second place, he trailed Max Verstappen by 146 points as the Red Bull star won the first of his four drivers’ titles in a row.

Charles Leclerc’s camp has contacted Aston Martin about a move from Ferrari in 2027

The 2025 season also currently marks the fourth campaign in which Leclerc has failed to win a single Grand Prix since he joined Ferrari in 2019. He also went winless through 2020, 2021 and 2023, when he also came eighth, seventh and fifth in the drivers’ standings respectively.

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

Leclerc had the look of total resignation at the Singapore GP, as well, after he only managed P7 in qualifying and he finished P6 in the race while 45.996 seconds behind the lead. So, it is now said that Leclerc is starting to consider his future at Ferrari beyond the 2026 F1 season.

That is according to Automoto.it, which reports that Leclerc intends to evaluate how Ferrari and their rival teams adapt to the 2026 F1 regulations to find his most competitive home for the 2027 season. Leclerc’s camp has even made ‘no secret’ about talking to Aston Martin.

While Leclerc’s £20m a year Ferrari contract is due to run through 2029, he included release clauses that could let the eight-time Grand Prix winner leave as soon as the end of 2026. So, Leclerc’s camp approached Aston Martin in August to sound out the situation in Silverstone.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are both only under contract at Aston Martin through the 2026 season. Additionally, Alonso admits he could retire in 2026 if Aston Martin build a fast car for the new regulations, for which they hired Adrian Newey and will run Honda engines.

Charles Leclerc could replace Fernando Alonso in 2027, but he is also eyeing Mercedes

Honda is leaving Red Bull after the 2025 season, with Aston Martin becoming the Japanese brand’s new factory engine team next year. So, Leclerc’s camp sought to see what openings could be available at Aston Martin for the Monegasque in 2027 if Ferrari flop again in 2026.

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

A move from Maranello to Silverstone could represent a gamble for Leclerc, as Aston Martin have never won a Grand Prix in the brand’s history. Aston Martin have to date entered 114 and started 113 Grands Prix, which also only yielded nine podiums and zero pole positions.

Alonso has secured eight of Aston Martin’s podiums since he joined the team in 2023, when the two-time champion also achieved all eight of those rostrums. But Aston Martin have bet big on F1’s 2026 regulations and the appointment of design guru Newey to oversee their car.

Aston Martin are not the only rival squad on Leclerc’s radar in case the Monegasque decides to leave Ferrari in the future, though. Leclerc has held talks with Mercedes about a potential move in 2027, as well, as the Silver Arrows would be one of his preferred alternative homes.