‘Many in F1’ have already made up their minds about Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari extension

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Ferrari announced in the lead-up to the Monaco Grand Prix that Charles Leclerc had signed a new contract.

Leclerc’s previous deal wasn’t due to expire imminently, but the renewal ended any doubt over his future and underlined his faith in the project.

Reports suggest Leclerc has signed a ‘near-permanent’ deal, or certainly the longest of any current driver. The expectation is that it will take him into the 2030s.

Charles Leclerc’s new Ferrari deal sparks fears that he’s wasting his career

In a Q&A for BBC Sport, Andrew Benson was asked why Leclerc re-signed on the basis that ‘Ferrari kills most drivers’ careers’.

Ferrari haven’t had a drivers’ champion since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. Since then, elite drivers like Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Leclerc have tried and failed to end the drought.

Alonso left on his own terms when he joined McLaren in 2015, but Vettel dropped into the midfield with Aston Martin. The same happened to Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Raikkonen himself (Alfa Romeo, after his second stint).

According to Benson, ‘many in F1’ have expressed concerns about Leclerc’s decision. The ‘overriding question’ is whether he is ‘wasting his career’ at Maranello.

After signing a new deal, will Charles Leclerc retire as a Ferrari driver?

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It sounds as if insiders have immediately made up their minds about the contract extension. Leclerc confirmed that he had options elsewhere on the grid but still believes he can achieve his dream of winning the title in red.

Led by former Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies, Red Bull have shown an interest in Leclerc should Max Verstappen leave. Aston Martin were also mentioned before their 2026 crisis.

It initially looked as if Leclerc could compete for the title in 2022, but he and Ferrari fell away sharply in the second half of the season and ended up 146 points behind Max Verstappen. That remains his highest finish.

• READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya warns Charles Leclerc he’s never had a teammate like Lewis Hamilton before

The eight-time Grand Prix winner was hoping to celebrate his extension with victory on home soil, but errors in qualifying left him fourth on the grid and he then crashed out of the race from third, citing brake issues.

Fourth in the standings and 81 points behind Kimi Antonelli, the 28-year-old will almost certainly be waiting at least one more year to win the title.