Leclerc's Ferrari deal breaks ground even Schumacher did not
Leclerc's Ferrari deal breaks ground even Schumacher did not
Ferrari laid their cards on the table this week, signing Charles Leclerc up to a deal tat confirms him as the Scuderia's leading light for the next half-decade.
The Monegasque was already on the longest-term deal on the grid, signed to Ferrari until 2022, but his new agreement will keep him at Maranello until 2025.
Such five-year contracts are the rarest of currency in a sport that is notorious for short-termism from season to season.
And the scale of Ferrari's investment is borne out when considering that the great Michael Schumacher was never signed to a deal with the Scuderia for more than three years.
Corriere dello Sport reports that Leclerc's salary has tripled to €9million, closing the gap to Sebastian Vettel, although the four-time world champion remains on a deal worth much more per year.
Leclerc earned his new contract with a spectacular debut season in Scuderia scarlet.
The Monegasque took seven pole positions across the campaign, more than any other driver and added two race wins in Belgium and Italy, breaking Ferrari's nine-year drought at Monza in the process.
Leclerc finished ahead of Vettel in the drivers' championship, having wiped out the pre-season "priority" bestowed upon the German by team principal Mattia Binotto, becoming just the second team-mate to defeat Vettel across a full season.
The 22-year-old's extension also arrives amid suggestions that Lewis Hamilton could be his team-mate in 2021, with Mercedes' six-time world champion having met Ferrari president John Elkann in 2019.
Binotto has said that Ferrari want an "experienced" driver alongside Leclerc when F1 falls under new regulations in 2021. Both Vettel and Hamilton fit the bill, but it remains to be seen if the German can convince Ferrari that he remains at the peak of his powers.
Vettel may not have long to prove his worth, with Binotto saying that a decision will start to be made around next year's Spanish GP.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Hamilton DELIGHTED with Mercedes pace after China masterclass - Top three verdict
- 36 minutes ago
F1 sprint races: How do they work and what are the changes for 2024?
- 1 hour ago
- 6
EXCLUSIVE: 'Sports should be above' politics claims F1 icon
- 1 hour ago
Sky Pundit suggests F1 star ‘DETRIMENTAL’ to nation
- 2 hours ago
F1 Flags Explained: What do the different colours mean?
- 3 hours ago
McLaren boss explains why FIA REVERSED Norris F1 penalty
- Today 14:01
Related news
Leclerc hints at early F1 RETIREMENT
Leclerc unveils AMAZING tribute for Bianchi tragedy
Vettel issues Hamilton 'difficult to manage' verdict
Leclerc tries new type of racing following F1 Mario Kart criticism
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860