Martin Brundle urges F1 driver to ‘keep your options open’ amid £21m contract claims

Follow us on Google Discover

Martin Brundle has now told Charles Leclerc to ‘keep your options open’ amid claims the Ferrari driver has agreed a new contract to the end of the 2029 Formula 1 season.

Maranello chiefs have moved to lock the Monegasque down with fresh terms as his existing deal expires next year. Leclerc has been with Ferrari since the 2019 season after stepping up after just one season for Sauber. That season also marked only his second year in Formula 1.

Leclerc has proven to be Ferrari’s main man since he joined the Scuderia. The 26-year-old is also a product of their driver academy having joined the FDA back in 2015. He even became the first FDA product to graduate to F1 after winning back-to-back GP3 and Formula 2 titles.

Charles Leclerc has agreed a new five-year contract with Ferrari

Now, Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Leclerc has agreed to sign a new contract with Ferrari through the 2029 season. It will see him earn €25m (£21m) in the first year of the fresh deal in 2025. But the Monegasque’s pay will progressively increase up to €50m (£43m) by 2029.

Ferrari have agreed to include performance-related exit clauses in the terms to convince the five-time Grand Prix winner to renew. The clauses will only come into effect after the end of the 2027 season, however. While Ferrari remain in talks with Carlos Sainz on a new contract.

Martin Brundle urges Charles Leclerc to ‘keep your options open’

Both, Sainz and Leclerc, are out of contract at the end of the 2024 season. But Ferrari intend to confirm the agreement with Leclerc for a long-term extension imminently. It can lock the Monte Carlo native down past his 32nd birthday and see him get a full decade at Maranello.

Yet Brundle urges Leclerc to keep his options open and feels Ferrari likely used a ‘crystal ball’ to keep him. The Scuderia have only challenged for the Formula 1 drivers’ title once since he joined them. Yet Leclerc’s 2022 title bid fell apart as Ferrari failed to keep pace with Red Bull.

“Rumours are rumours but I imagine Charles likes it there,” Brundle said in a Q&A on the Sky Sports website. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to drive for Ferrari? And I’m sure they pay him very well and treat him like a king, and have demonstrated to him the promise, the crystal ball – where they start winning and lots of things.

“I also know from all contracts that they tend to be very confidential and if there’s any exit clauses, they’re confidential. So, unless you’re actually signing a contract or involved in creating it, we’ll never really know the true facts.

“But if he signed a longer-term deal for Ferrari, I wouldn’t be that surprised. But, again, you’ve got to keep your options open.”