Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Albert Park, 2026

Charles Leclerc said he turned down offers to leave Ferrari because he believes team principal Frederic Vasseur can make them winners again.

Ferrari confirmed this week Leclerc has signed a new contract to remain at the team. He joined the Ferrari from Sauber in 2019 having entered Formula 1 as part of their young driver programme.

Leclerc said he decided to stay at Ferrari partly because “I love the team – I think that’s pretty obvious from the outside.”

“It’s been eight years with the Formula 1 team, 10 years with Ferrari as a whole. They were one of the first to believe in me and to help me to get to where I am today.”

However he stressed “I believe in the project most of all. I think with Fred we have a very, very good relationship and I strongly believe that he’s the person that will be able to bring Ferrari back to the top.”

After the first five rounds, Leclerc lies third in the drivers’ championship, but is already 56 points behind leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He admitted the team hoped to be in a more competitive position after F1 introduced new rules this year.

“It’s been a good start of the season,” he said, “obviously not as good as what we would want because we target the world championship.

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“But there’s been lots of innovation on the car. We know where we are lacking and that’s probably more the engine side. We’ve got a plan coming up and hopefully it will help us to get back to where we want to be.”

Leclerc said it was “mostly Fred” which gave him belief in the team’s potential. The pair worked together at Sauber in 2018, then Vasseur joined Ferrari at the beginning of 2023 in place of Mattia Binotto.

The progress Ferrari has made with its 2026 car shows Vasseur’s leadership is paying off, said Leclerc. “I’m very onboard with his vision and I really believe in Fred,” he explained.

“Obviously [this is] the first car that he projected together with the team. We are seeing lots of innovation on our car.

“We have a long-term vision – not too long because obviously we all want to win as quickly as possible – but as soon as possible to be back on top. I’m onboard with this vision and I believe in this vision.

“That’s what makes me believe about this this project more than ever.”

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Keith Collantine

Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 – when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring journalist, Keith began running the site full-time in 2010, achieving a long-held ambition to dedicate his full attention to his passion for motor racing. View all posts by Keith Collantine