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Charles Leclerc reminisced that he grew up watching the red cars as he signed an extension with Ferrari. The young driver has been part of the Italian family for a long time now. He was the team's junior academy driver when he dominated and won the F2 championship in 2017.
Leclerc debuted in F1 in 2018 under Fred Vasseur for Sauber and impressed everyone in his very first season. That impression meant that the driver could get promoted to the senior team Ferrari in 2019, where he teamed up with multiple world champion Sebastian Vettel. After holding his own against the German in 2019, Charles Leclerc came into his in 2020.
Since then, he's been the lead driver at Ferrari and his contract extension was merely considered a formality. With Charles Leclerc at the team announcing his contract extension, the young driver reminisced about the time when he would look at the races in Monaco and keep an eye on the red cars.
In the team's press release, Leclerc said:
"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."
"I believe the best is yet to come" - Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc further emphasized that in his journey with Ferrari, the best is yet to come. He targeted winning the title with the team in the future, as he said:
"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. 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."
He added:
"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."
The contract length for Charles Leclerc is still not clear. The team and the driver have not divulged that information. It remains to be seen though what the future holds for the driver as Ferrari tries to build its way back into contention.
