Charles Leclerc ‘has no intention’ to extend his Ferrari contract: Reports

Ferrari's struggles continue, and reportedly, Charles Leclerc's dissatisfaction has grown to a point that he has no intention of extending his contract.

Charles Leclerc ‘has no intention’ to extend his Ferrari contract: Reports

Charles Leclerc

There have been reports regarding Charles Leclerc’s dissatisfaction with his current situation at Ferrari. In 2022, mostly through strategic errors and then the F1-75’s very bad race pace, he lost his shot at the F1 title. It had started really well for him, with two wins in three, but it all unraveled after Imola. This time around, though, his start has been nothing short of disastrous.

After three rounds, he only has 6 points to his name. He retired in the first race from a control electronics issue; and in Australia, he was taken out on the first lap. In the only race he finished, he started P12 because of a grid penalty. In the race, when he came up to teammate Carlos Sainz, he was unable to overtake – and Ferrari did not let him through. All in all, it has been a very frustrating season for Leclerc.

His championship ambitions now look like a distant dream, even with the promise of improvement from upgrades. And now, it seems that he has thrown in the towel. In recent times, many reports have emerged, connecting him to a move to Mercedes. There, he would replace Lewis Hamilton. But while his only links are to Mercedes, there’s no exact timeline of when he could join them. Hamilton’s contract expires at the end of this season; Leclerc’s contract expires at the end of 2024.

It’s been touted that a possible performance clause could allow him to make an early exit. Hamilton’s contract talks, at least publicly, have not progressed. So, if he decides to call time on his career – or leave Mercedes at the end of 2023, Leclerc could replace him. The other, more likely alternative, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, is the Monegasque moving to the Silver Arrows after 2024. The report says that, as it stands, Leclerc has no intention of extending his contract at Ferrari.

Read More: Charles Leclerc is seeking a high-profile move to Ferrari’s arch-rivals to save his F1 career: Reports

Imola upgrades will be crucial to Charles Leclerc’s future at Ferrari

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc

From now, if the reports are to be believed, then every single race result could be crucial to Charles Leclerc’s future. If he is to stay at Ferrari, then massive, and quick improvements are needed. But no ‘revolutions’, in terms of performance, are expected in Baku next week. The major upgrades will arrive around Imola and Barcelona, and some in Miami. So, it’s possible the race (Imola) which started his downfall in 2022, will start an upturn in performances in 2023.

A change in the SF-23’s performance could change Leclerc’s mind. But as it stands, the report states that negotiations for a contract extension are not yet underway. But, it’s unlikely that he will leave at the end of this season. Even if he is in a position to activate that potential performance clause, it will depend on Lewis Hamilton’s future with Mercedes as well. The Briton may yet extend his contract, and both parties have suggested that it’s just a matter of time.

According to the report, he is “grateful” to Frederic Vasseur, and wants to evaluate Ferrari’s “technical reaction capacity” before making a decision. But it must be said: Leclerc’s demeanor has changed a lot over the course of the year. Optimism, spark, and even hope seem to be gone from his eyes. This is, of course, a reflection of his current situation that may yet improve. But it’s definitely worrying times for the Maranello team – losing their star to their arch-rivals will be a HUGE blow.

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