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Charles Leclerc’s future could be one of the most hotly discussed topics in the paddock next season, with everyone waiting to see how Ferrari deal with the new regulations.
Ferrari failed to meet any of their targets in 2025, ending development of their car early to concentrate on next season and suffering as a result.
It makes the seven podium finishes that Charles Leclerc claimed even more impressive, especially considering Lewis Hamilton’s ongoing wait without a trip to the rostrum.
How do you rate Charles Leclerc’s time with Ferrari?
The F1 driver market is expected to be very busy next year, with plenty of drivers out of contract and the pecking order of the grid set to be shaken up.
Leclerc is on a long-term deal at Ferrari, but that won’t stop any top teams from looking at his situation at Ferrari if the Scuderia’s new car once again underwhelms.
Journalist Nate Saunders has now explained how the Monegasque really feels about his future being discussed going into 2026.
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Charles Leclerc ‘deep down’ never wants to leave Ferrari, but could still consider an exit
Saunders was asked on the Unlapped Podcast about which team he’s looking forward to seeing most in 2026 and said: “I think for me, just given what happened this year, the John Elkann comments, given that Charles Leclerc looks like, at least, he’s got it in his head, maybe my future’s not at Ferrari given that Lewis has gone there and has underperformed.
“I think it’s all about Ferrari next year. Not just because of the implication of 2026, but the implication for Ferrari of just being off the pace for another regulation cycle or at least not being the team to beat.
“I mean, if that happens again, you start to wonder, how does that team get beyond that?
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“What do they do? So for me, it’s them. I mentioned earlier about the six races with Leclerc.
“I think I mentioned it before, but there’s nothing that would sum up Ferrari’s failures more than Leclerc leaving that team, given what he means to that team, but also what that team means to him and just the fact that I think deep down, he just wants to stay there forever and drive for Ferrari for the rest of time.
“If you drive him away by just not getting a regulation change, right then, that’s pretty telling.
“But I’ve got some optimism. Ferrari did stop developing this year’s car quite early.”
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Which F1 team needs Charles Leclerc the most, and which teams should he be looking at signing for?
Leclerc could have his choice of virtually any team on the grid if he decided that he wanted to leave Ferrari.
McLaren have considered signing Leclerc if Oscar Piastri moves on, although Zak Brown doesn’t sound like he wants to split up his current driver pairing.
Another top team that could move for Leclerc is Red Bull, although it’s yet to be seen whether this would be as a replacement for Max Verstappen or as his teammate.
In both of these scenarios, Leclerc would be hoping that the teams can nail the 2026 regulations. However, there are question marks over Red Bull’s ability to build a power unit for the first time, and as a customer team, McLaren have less control over their destiny.
Another option that might really appeal to Leclerc is Aston Martin, which will become a de facto works team due to their relationship with Honda, and have Adrian Newey at the helm.
Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are out of contract next season, which would open up a pathway for Leclerc.
It all comes down to whether Ferrari are competitive next year, and if Leclerc decides to keep the faith in the team that guided him all the way to Formula 1.
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