Amid speculation surrounding his future at Ferrari, Charles Leclerc has claimed that he could end his F1 career with the Scuderia, just like Michael Schumacher did. The Monegasque driver is believed to have the longest contract on the current F1 grid. It is reported to run until 2029.
Numerous reports prior to the Canadian GP suggested that Charles Leclerc has lost faith in Ferrari. The 27-year-old was being linked with a move away, with Mercedes being touted as a potential destination. Leclerc has now reaffirmed his commitment to the Italian team, that he claims to love very much.
Speaking to The Times recently, Leclerc also claimed that he could end his F1 career at Ferrari, much like Michael Schumacher did after his legendary stint with the team.
“I am, of course [committed as ever]. My contract is still very much there for quite a few years,” said Leclerc.
“I’ve always said how much I love this team, and at the moment my only obsession is to try and bring Ferrari back to the top. That’s with Fred and Lewis.
“At the moment I don’t see myself anywhere else other than Ferrari. It is very possible that this would be the case for me [to end his career there].” he added.
Michael Schumacher retired in 2006 after an 11-year stint with Ferrari. During this time he won five drivers’ titles and helped the Italian team win six constructors’ titles. The legendary German driver of course returned to F1 in 2010 with Mercedes for a three year stint.
Charles Leclerc is already in his seventh season in F1 with Ferrari. If he stays until 2029, he would also have been at the Maranello-based team for 11 years.
Charles Leclerc explains why he loves being a Ferrari F1 driver
Charles Leclerc has claimed that the level of passion at Ferrari is different to any other team in F1. The 8-time race-winner feels this is what sets the Italian team apart from any other outfit in F1.
Speaking to the aforementioned outlet, Leclerc shared the primary reason behind his love for the Scarlet Red team.
“What makes me so proud of being part of the team is the passion that every single person has,” said Leclerc.
“That’s very specific to Ferrari. Everybody in Formula 1 is trying the best they possibly can. But when you speak about passion, that’s what really differentiates Ferrari.” he added.
Leclerc added a caveat though, explaining that the passion can also be detrimental at times. The driver explained that it is emotionally tougher to deal with hard times when everyone at the team is as passionate.
But Leclerc also explained that this passion makes the team members work even harder than usual to fix things. He also added that team boss Fred Vasseur helps keep “emotions as balanced as possible” within the team.
