Maranello, June 3 (IANS) Ferrari has announced a new multi-year deal with Charles Leclerc, which will see the Monegasque driver race in red for the coming seasons. Leclerc joined Scuderia in 2019 after debuting in F1 in 2018 with Sauber, following his win of the Formula 2 Championship in 2017.

During his tenure with Ferrari, Leclerc has provided the tifosi with many memorable moments, including notable victories at Monza in 2019 and 2024, as well as a heartfelt home win in Monaco in 2024. He ranks second on the team in appearances, just behind Michael Schumacher.

The new deal represents the latest chapter in a decade-long relationship between the team and Leclerc. The 28-year-old joined the driver academy in 2016 and continues to demonstrate his confidence that he will eventually secure a World Championship for Maranello.

“I couldn’t be happier to continue this journey with Scuderia Ferrari HP. It has always been so much more than just a team to me. It’s the team I’ve loved and dreamt of being part of since I was a child, and after all these years it has become a second family,” Leclerc said.

“Together we’ve shared incredible moments and some tougher ones, but I believe in this team more than ever, and I’m deeply grateful that we will keep pushing side by side toward our shared goal of bringing the World Championship back to Maranello.

“Being a Ferrari driver is a dream, 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,” he added.

Ferrari Team Principal, Fred Vasseur added, “Charles has been part of the Ferrari family for many years now and this renewal feels like something very natural for us. Over these seasons we have seen him grow, to become not only one of the strongest drivers in Formula 1, but also a person who is completely at one with the team and everything Ferrari represents. We appreciate his talent, we love his determination and the way he approaches every day with the people in the Scuderia, both on and off the track. We know how much this project means to him and we are happy to continue working towards our shared goals.”

Leclerc’s new deal confirmation arrives ahead of his home race in Monaco this weekend. Ferrari is expected to perform well, even though Mercedes has won every Grand Prix so far this year.

Ferrari has performed well in the Principality in recent years, with their car handling the street circuit’s low-speed bends and bumps. The limited need for flat-out speed should benefit them, as there will be less of a lap-time advantage for the Mercedes power unit.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli also highlighted Ferrari as the “team to beat” in Monaco, expecting Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to be strong contenders. This optimism might inspire Ferrari and Leclerc to replicate their 2024 performances, offering a much-needed boost after the challenging Canadian Grand Prix weekend, which Leclerc described as the “most difficult weekend” of his career.

–IANS

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