Charles Leclerc signs multi-year Ferrari extension, vows to end championship drought

The renewal

Ferrari announced a multi-year contract extension for Charles Leclerc on Wednesday, confirming the 28-year-old will race for the team for the "coming seasons." The exact duration was not specified, but the announcement, made on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix, ends speculation about a potential move to another team. Leclerc has been with Ferrari since 2019 and has started 155 races for the Scuderia, the second-highest total in the team's history behind Michael Schumacher.

I couldn't be happier to continue this journey with Scuderia Ferrari HP. It has always been so much more than just a team to me.

A childhood dream

Leclerc described Ferrari as his "second family" and reiterated that driving for the team fulfills a lifelong ambition. He joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016, won the Formula 2 title in 2017, and made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2018 before moving to the works team. The Monegasque has won eight Grands Prix and finished second in the 2022 world championship.

It's the team I've loved and dreamt of being part of since I was a child, and after all these years it has become a second family.

The championship goal

Leclerc stressed his commitment to returning Ferrari to the top of Formula 1. The team has not won a drivers' championship since 2008, and its last grand prix victory came in 2024. Leclerc is currently third in the 2026 standings, 56 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes. His teammate, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, is fourth, three points behind Leclerc.

I'll continue to give absolutely everything I have to bring this team back to where it belongs, at the very top, for everyone in Maranello, and above all for the tifosi, whose passion is the heartbeat of this Scuderia.

Team reaction

Team principal Fred Vasseur called the renewal "something very natural" and praised Leclerc's growth both as a driver and as a person integrated into the Ferrari culture. Vasseur, who first worked with Leclerc at Sauber in 2018, highlighted the driver's talent, determination, and daily approach with the team.

Over these seasons we have seen him grow, to become not only one of the strongest drivers in Formula One, but also a person who is completely at one with the team and everything Ferrari represents.

Monaco weekend ahead

The announcement arrives just before the Monaco Grand Prix, Leclerc's home race. He has two podium finishes this season (third in Australia and Japan) and is considered a strong contender at the slowest circuit on the calendar, where top speed is less critical and grid position is decisive. Leclerc's most recent victory came at Austin in 2024.