08 December 2023 , 09:47
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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Red Bull chief Christian Horner believe Ferrari is doing the right thing by tying down Charles Leclerc to a long-term contract.
Leclerc has been with Ferrari since 2019, winning five races, picking up 29 podiums and finishing as runner-up to Max Verstappen in the 2022 world championship. But his contract with the Scuderia is up after next season, with the Italian side now seeking to secure his future.
Reports in Italy suggest Leclerc is closing in on a new five-year contract that will hand him a starting salary of £21.5million. The Monégasque is rated as one of the best drivers on the grid and is widely tipped to be a future world champion.
While securing Leclerc's service ultimately strengthens Ferrari's title hopes, their rivals have backed the move. Horner told Sky Sports: "It's totally natural. He's a great driver and I'm sure they'll want to keep hold of him. They'd be crazy if they didn't."
Wolff, whose Mercedes team finished three points ahead of the Scuderia, has agreed with Horner. He said: "I don't know anything about the contractual situation there, but he's a great guy and why wouldn't Ferrari sign him?"
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Having finished as Verstappen's closest rival in 2022, Leclerc and Ferrari endured a step back last season. Leclerc slipped to fifth in the standings, behind the all-conquering Verstappen, the Dutchman's team-mate Sergio Perez, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Are Ferrari making the right move by handing a new contract to Charles Leclerc? Comment below.
Ferrari are set to hand Charles Leclerc a mega contract extension (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)His team-mate at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz is also out of contract at the end of next year. But it appears the Scuderia are making Leclerc their number one priority, even as the Monégasque demands an improvement in his car's quality.
“To be honest it’s been a disappointing season. After last year, we expected to come to this season and try and fight for the championship," Leclerc said after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“After the first race, we straightaway understood how difficult it will be compared to the Red Bull that had done a huge step forward, especially in race pace. We didn’t do the same step. So, from that moment onwards, it was a bit disappointing.
“On the other hand, if you just look at this season – forget about last season – I think we’ve progressed quite a lot throughout the season which is positive and makes me confident for the future.
“But there’s a big gap to fill to get back to the Red Bulls so we’ll work hard during the winter break and hopefully we’ll come back stronger next year with a car that is capable of winning. It’s so much up and down.
"We’ve got races where we were definitely the second fastest cars, other races where maybe we were the fourth or fifth fastest car, so it was really up and down. Then, of course, very disappointed with that third place in the constructors’ as that was my only target since two or three races now."