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Fresh reports on Monday have suggested that Charles Leclerc's manager has been in direct talks with officials from Aston Martin, Mercedes, and McLaren to discuss the Monegasque's F1 future. These discussions are reportedly being conducted with a focus beyond 2026, as it remains unknown which teams will be on top in the new regulations era.
Leclerc has been at Scuderia Ferrari since 2019 and has not been provided the facilities to mount a proper bid for the world championship. Now, multiple reports suggest that the 27-year-old could well have his eyes away from the Italian team in the future.
Italian outlet RMC Motori has reported on Monday that Leclerc's agent, Nicolas Todt, held a meeting with McLaren boss Andrea Stella at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix earlier in September. They have also claimed that Todt has been in direct contact with Lawrence Stoll at Aston Martin and Mercedes' Toto Wolff over the past few weeks.
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Leclerc's camp has seemingly inquired about the driver's situation at these teams, and also possibilities of a short-term deal for the driver in the near future. This has come amid the 2026 regulation changes, which are set to disrupt the status quo of F1 in the coming year.
While the 8x F1 race winner is confirmed to stay at the Scuderia in 2026, it could be possible that he looks for a move away in 2027, if the Ferrari machine is not relatively competitive with the likes of Mercedes and McLaren next year.
The same is the case for Max Verstappen, who has also been reportedly in contact with Mercedes and Aston Martin for the future. It is not a secret that the Dutchman met with Toto Wolff to discuss his future during the summer break earlier this year.
A Charles Leclerc-Oscar Piastri swap reportedly possible in the future
The aforementioned outlet also reported that a potential swap between Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri in 2027 cannot be ruled out. While the former manager has been in contact with McLaren, the latter's manager, Mark Webber, has not closed the door on a future move to Ferrari.
Speaking about Piastri's future, Webber explained that the Aussie needs to remain focused on McLaren for now, even if Ferrari is a possibility in the future.
"For now, he must stay at McLaren. He must complete his development, and even if Ferrari remains a point of arrival (in the future), he must achieve the final result (this year)," said Webber, via RMC Motori.
"In the meantime, it would be better if he improved his Italian," he added.
Ferrari could well find itself with a completely new driver lineup in 2027 if Charles Leclerc decides to move on from Maranello. It is possible because Lewis Hamilton's F1 future beyond 2026 also remains unknown at the moment, as he enters the twilight of his career.
