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After months of speculation, Charles Leclerc has finally inked a multi-year contract extension with Ferrari, one which will see the Monegasque driver continue with the team beyond the 2024 season.
After making his debut for the Italian outfit in 2019 as a replacement for Kimi Raikkonen, Leclerc quickly emerged as the team's rising star by winning two back-to-back races in the Belgian and Italian GPs. As a result, Leclerc was rewarded with a lucrative five-year contract by Scuderia, one which is set to expire at the end of the upcoming season.
103 races, 30 podium finishes and five race victories later, Leclerc has now penned another multi-year renewal with Ferrari. While the length of the contract remains unclear at the time of writing, reports suggest that the two parties could continue with each other at least till the 2029 season.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Charles Leclerc's contract extension. Taking a jab at Ferrari's current position in the standings, one user commented:
"I love this team but my god, Charles is a brave man"
Echoing similar sentiments of skepticism, another fan wrote:
"Bro therapist is going to be a billionaire"
A third user commented:
"THERE YOU GO! FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS!"
Here are a few more reactions to Leclerc's contract extension:
Charles Leclerc "cannot wait to be competitive" heading into the upcoming season
Charles Leclerc expressed joy and optimism after the announcement of his renewal. He highlighted his emotional connection to Ferrari, describing the team as his second family since joining the team's Driver Academy in 2016.
He was quoted as saying (via formula1.com):
"I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come."
"To race for this team has been my dream since I was three years old: I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend’s apartment at Ste. Devote corner and I would always look out for the red cars. This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years," Leclerc added.
Moving forward, the 26-year-old is filled with optimism as he enters his sixth season with the Scuderia. Leclerc further stated:
"However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race. My dream remains that of winning the World Championship with Ferrari and I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy."
Charles Leclerc will partner alongside Spanish driver Carlos Sainz for the upcoming season. While the former has penned a multi-year deal with his current team, Sainz's future with the Italian outfit remains uncertain beyond the 2024 season.
