Jolyon Palmer says Ferrari upgrades could decide Charles Leclerc’s future at the team

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Jolyon Palmer believes Charles Leclerc will have a big decision to make if Ferrari cannot give him a championship-calibre car this season.

Ferrari’s strong start to the season quickly dissipated after their upgrades failed to make a tangible difference for Charles Leclerc at the Miami Grand Prix.

While his P7 finish came down to a harsh 20-second penalty from the FIA, Leclerc didn’t look like one of the fastest drivers on the track compared to either McLaren or Kimi Antonelli’s rapid Mercedes.

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Despite bringing the most upgrades to South Beach, Ferrari’s inadequate work cost Leclerc a chance at competing for the win.

And if things don’t improve on the upgrades front soon enough, Jolyon Palmer expects Leclerc to consider his future outside of Ferrari very soon.

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc is ‘not looking forward’ to breaking one of Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari records

Jolyon Palmer urges Charles Leclerc to look ‘elsewhere’ amid Ferrari’s championship woes

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Jolyon Palmer explained how Ferrari’s upgrade package could have a serious impact on Charles Leclerc’s future with the team.

If Ferrari are unable to deliver a strong upgrade package in time, Palmer believes Leclerc must finally consider leaving Ferrari and pursuing a championship with another team.

“He’ll know what’s coming up in the pipeline as well… Typically, in a season, you get the Miami weekend, Montreal weekend. This used to be Spain, didn’t it, where you bring this sort of first major upgrade package, and then you’ll see something around Austria.

“Silverstone could be Spa now. Weekend, midsummer, for a conventional big aero platform difference and a new flow, new aero surfaces that will spruce up the car for a few tenths. And then it’ll be little bits and bobs of tweaking through the rest of the year.

“So Charles will know if Ferrari are telling him, ‘This is good, let’s fight.’ I’m sure Monaco, he could be fighting for a win anyway. Maybe he can be there this weekend on a circuit that could suit the Ferrari a bit more.

“And if they’re saying, ‘Just hold in, because when we get to Silverstone, we’ve got the proper package coming,’ he’ll know that means we don’t know at the moment.

“So if they don’t have anything more, if they’re thinking, ‘We’ll bring a little bit of bits and bobs, but no big upgrade package’, and they’re not competitive right now, I just think if you’re Charles, you have to start looking elsewhere. He’s been so loyal to Ferrari.

“He came through the ranks with them, did a year at Sauber, got into the main seat in 2019, and he’s just been sensational. I think his level of performance is clearly worthy of a championship. So he has to start looking around.

“If Ferrari can’t deliver even a championship challenge, he has to be a driver that has the talent to at least see a championship challenge one day. And I think this is the time. ’New set of regs? If it’s not Ferrari, then where can I go and try to mount this?’”

READ MORE: Jolyon Palmer fears Fred Vasseur could not ‘manage’ Lewis Hamilton in a Charles Leclerc title fight

Can Ferrari still win an F1 title in 2026?

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James Hinchcliffe believes Charles Leclerc can leverage a ‘biased’ contract from Ferrari

Responding to Palmer’s comments, James Hinchcliffe suggested that, should Leclerc not find a suitable team away from Ferrari, he could land a lucrative contract completely in his favour from the team.

“Good question. Where can he go? Because he’s made this point right now, how desperately he wants to win a championship with Ferrari. But at some point, that loyalty has to waiver if they’re just incapable after a decade of him driving there, of providing him with a car to fight for a championship.

“That’s a tough question. I don’t think there’s an obvious answer. Is Piastri going anywhere? Probably not. And the Mercedes pair staying? Probably. The domino is really Max, isn’t it? That’s what makes this whole conversation interesting. If not, I don’t really see another option.

“He’s not going to Aston Martin. That’s not a risk worth taking. He doesn’t need the money, does he?… I think what it does do is it gives him maybe a little bit more negotiating power with Ferrari. As bad as this might sound, he signed a record-breaking, historic contract with Ferrari in terms of its length, right?

“I don’t think he’s going to sign for another five years. I think if he decides to re-up, it’s going to be very much shorter-term without clauses.

“And it’s going to be more of a Charles-biased contract. He’s earned that. The team understands that if they want to hang on to him, they’re going to have to acquiesce on some of those things. And it does put him in a position of power negotiating next time.”

Even with concerns that Lewis Hamilton might overshadow him, Leclerc is still Ferrari’s number one driver. But that status rings hollow if the team can’t provide him with a car that can compete for a title.

Leclerc’s frustration with Ferrari this season has been no secret. And the Maranello outfit must be worried that the Monegasque driver could decide to look elsewhere if things don’t improve soon.