Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Ferrari futures clarified by team chairman

Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc — Photo: © LAT Images

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Ferrari chairman John Elkann has provided an update on the future of Sainz and Leclerc

Anna Malyon

Friday 1 December 2023 16:57 Updated: 19:37

Ferrari chairman John Elkann has provided a significant update on the futures of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, claiming that they will, 'of course', remain with Ferrari beyond next season.

With both Leclerc and Sainz's contracts set to expire at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, there has been speculation linking both drivers to potential moves away once their contracts conclude.

Prior to Mercedes renewing the contracts of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, Leclerc was rumoured to be an option for the German team.

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Meanwhile, Sainz has been linked with a potential move to Audi in 2026, and there are even suggestions he might transition to Sauber a year earlier as part of the preparation process.

John Elkann is confident Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will remain with Ferrari

Carlos Sainz was disappointed with the results of the 2023 season

Elkann: Sainz and Leclerc will stay

However, during an appearance at Exor's Investor Day, Elkann revealed that both Leclerc and Sainz would be remaining with the team long-term.

“Sainz and Leclerc? They will stay, of course,” Elkann said. “Ferrari’s season was disappointing, but the way it ended, we could almost have finished second and at the same time it was positive that in the last part of the championship, we were fighting for second place.

“If you look at the number of poles Ferrari has taken, it’s a high number. We have to take that into account and move forward in the next championships and convert those pole positions into wins.”

Italian F1 journalist Guiliano Duchessa also published on X that Elkann was quoted saying “Leclerc and Sainz will certainly stay at Ferrari.”

Disappointed drivers

However, despite Elkann's confidence in the duo remaining at Ferrari, Sainz had previously expressed frustration with the team, particularly after the results of the 2023 F1 season and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"Today, the last two weekends, this last weekend in general, haven't gone like I expected or like we wanted to finish the year," Sainz told media after the Abu Dhabi race.

"Honestly very disappointed and obviously not happy. Given how close it was in the end with the constructors' championship, we will have to sit down and analyse what we could have done better today and what was going on.

"Clearly the pace this weekend and the overall feeling with the car and everything, the end wasn't good."

Elkann expects Charles Leclerc to stay with Ferrari

Despite Leclerc expressing disappointment with Ferrari, he has affirmed his commitment to completing the 'mission' with the team.

“I don’t really think to that because Ferrari is so special and I wouldn’t change my position with anyone else on the grid,” Leclerc said when asked if he thinks about what he could achieve in a better car.

“Do I want to win world championships? Of course, this is the same for everybody, but do I want to change my place with anyone? No, I don’t. I have always been dreaming of being a Formula One driver, and even more so with Ferrari.

“It’s a bit of a family feeling now, it’s been so many years I have been within the team, whether it is as an actual race driver for Ferrari or at the Ferrari Driver Academy in the years before. It’s been many years together and I want to finish the mission with a world championship.”

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Charles Leclerc George Russell Carlos Sainz