What Ferrari ‘will do’ if Mercedes try to convince Charles Leclerc to break his contract and replace George Russell

Follow us on Google Discover

Ferrari are having to put out fire after fire amid their disappointing season, with Fred Vasseur’s tenure uncertain and Charles Leclerc considering his future at the Scuderia.

The Maranello squad viewed the 2025 F1 season with such high hopes heading into the year after finishing second to McLaren by 14 points for the constructors’ title last year and having signed Lewis Hamilton. But Ferrari trail the Woking outfit by 191 points after only 10 rounds.

Leclerc and Hamilton further only sit fifth and sixth in the F1 drivers’ championship ahead of this Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix. The Monegasque and Briton have only scored 104 and 79 points, with Ferrari also the only one of F1’s big four teams still to win a Grand Prix this term.

So, Ferrari team principal Vasseur is now at risk of being axed, with his contract set to expire at the end of this year. Questions are growing as the Scuderia’s plight continues, and Leclerc is stunned that ‘everyone’ at Ferrari seems to have given up on winning either 2025 F1 title.

Ferrari ‘will do everything’ to convince Charles Leclerc to stay amid interest from Mercedes

The problems mounting in Maranello have even sparked claims that Leclerc no longer rules out leaving Ferrari amid interest from Mercedes. The 27-year-old is under contract through the 2029 season, but Leclerc’s £25m a year Ferrari contract also includes release clauses.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has always held Leclerc in high regard, and could target the Ferrari star’s services if the Silver Arrows were to elect against offering George Russell a new contract. The 27-year-old is currently due to become a free agent after the 2025 term.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

But Ferrari ‘will do everything’ they can to convince Leclerc to stay in Maranello if the eight-time Grand Prix winner considered leaving. That is according to Motorsport-Magazin, which reports that few F1 drivers have as much power within their team as Leclerc does at Ferrari.

Leclerc is aware of his special position at Ferrari, who would move heaven and earth to keep him happy – even if it meant sacking a key member of staff. Vasseur even took charge of the Scuderia in December 2022 after Ferrari made Mattia Binotto quit to avoid upsetting Leclerc.

Charles Leclerc is realising his chances to win an F1 drivers’ title are fading at Ferrari

The threat of Leclerc looking to leave Ferrari has grown rapidly of late with the Scuderia thus far unable to deliver him a title-winning package. He finished second to Max Verstappen for the 2022 drivers’ title, but ended his career-best season to date 146 points shy of the crown.

Now, Leclerc realises that his chances to win an F1 title are fading, having finished the 2024 campaign 81 points adrift of Verstappen, and now trails Oscar Piastri by 94 after the first 10 rounds of 2025. His top results in 2025 are P2 in Monaco plus P3 in Saudi Arabia and Spain.

Leclerc has shown his frustration with Ferrari over their radio, too, as their strategic calls as recently as during the Canadian Grand Prix last time out failed to sit well with him. Although while Leclerc wanted to do a one-stop race in Montreal, the strategy would not have helped.