Frederic Vasseur would ‘not be against’ pairing Charles Leclerc with 27-year-old driver at Ferrari

Follow us on Google Discover

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur would not be against pairing Charles Leclerc with Pierre Gasly in the near future.

Charles Leclerc will be driving for the Italian outfit for years to come after renewing his contract, but Carlos Sainz’s future is still unclear.

French outlet Ouest France has shared more details about a potential replacement for the Spaniard.

Vasseur would consider Leclerc and Gasly pairing at Ferrari

The 2024 driver market is going to be one of the main talking points in Formula 1 this year with so many drivers out of contract.

More than half of the current grid don’t know where they will be driving in 2025, or whether they’ll still be in the sport at all.

Carlos Sainz is one of the highest-profile drivers still waiting to agree a new deal with his team.

The 29-year-old is very keen to remain with the team and the balance between him and Leclerc works very well.

However, he wants to sign a longer-term deal whereas Ferrari appear to be more interested in keeping their options open.

The Spaniard’s position has been weakened by Lando Norris extending his stay at McLaren and closing off one option for him if he has to leave Ferrari.

He may not be helped by the fact that Vasseur isn’t against bringing in Pierre Gasly who already has a great relationship with Charles Leclerc.

Gasly ready for next step in his career

The report from Ouest France suggests that both Gasly and his teammate Esteban Ocon are looking for ‘alternative solutions’ with their contracts at Alpine ending this year.

They believe Vasseur ‘would not be against’ Gasly and Leclerc driving alongside each other at Ferrari.

Gasly and Leclerc would work well together and although Leclerc seems like the natural lead driver between the two, Gasly is also rapid and has a race win under his belt.

It’s hard to say that Ferrari would be better off parting ways with Sainz for Gasly as it’s hard to argue the Frenchman is quicker than the 29-year-old.

They’re both at a very similar level but it might come down to the length and size of the contracts they want.

This puts Sainz at a disadvantage in negotiations, but Ferrari will know that despite Gasly and Leclerc’s relationship, any change is a risk.

They have to decide which driver will be best placed to help Leclerc fight for a championship if their car is quick enough in the future.