Charles Leclerc confirms Ferrari exit talks with F1 star honest about 'other opportunities'

Ferrari star Charles Leclerc has confirmed that he had other opportunities available to him in F1 after his manager held talks with rival teams.

By the end of 2026, Leclerc will have driven for Ferrari in F1 for eight seasons, and he is set to add to that in the coming years, having signed a new deal with the team back in June.

However, just because Leclerc has been loyal, it does not mean that he did not explore his options and what else was out there for him in the current F1 landscape.

That's according to Leclerc himself, who has admitted that while he didn't personally talk to other teams ahead of renewing with Ferrari, his manager did so on his behalf.

F1 HEADLINES: Ferrari confirm Hamilton and Leclerc peace talks as key figure leaves Maranello

Charles Leclerc had 'opportunities' to leave Ferrari

The Monegasque made that reveal on the Beyond the Grid podcast this week ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, where Leclerc will be looking for his third Monza victory as a Ferrari driver.

Asked by host Tom Clarkson if he negotiated with other teams before signing his new deal, Leclerc said: “For that, I think I'm also lucky to be in the position where I've got my manager.

“My manager is here to let me know about what are the other opportunities, what's going on around. And so I didn't have any personal talks, but my manager did.

“I mean, it's his job to be honest with me and to give me the full picture of what's going on in the paddock and what opportunities we might have.”

So, were there opportunities out there for Leclerc to leave the Scuderia?

“So yes, there were other opportunities, but at the end of the day, we sat down with Ferrari and we made it happen quite quickly,” Leclerc concluded.

Driving for Ferrari is Leclerc's dream

When signing his new contract back in June, Leclerc explained that being a Ferrari driver was a 'dream', so we should perhaps not be surprised he was keen to stay with the Scuderia.

"Being a Ferrari driver is a dream," he said when he signed his new deal. "But it’s also a responsibility I never take for granted.

"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."

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