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Charles Leclerc has brushed off rumours about a possible link to Mercedes for the 2024 season, where he could potentially replace Lewis Hamilton. Speaking to on-site media, including Sportskeeda in Azerbaijan, the Monegasque insisted he was committed to Ferrari, saying:
“No, not yet. Not for the moment. So for now, I am fully focused on the project I am at today, which is Ferrari. As I said, I fully trust and I'm confident for the future. Then we'll see.”
Asked if there was any chance of him looking elsewhere, if the chances of winning with Ferrari were bleak, the Monegasque said:
“Again, I’m fully committed to Ferrari, and I love Ferrari. It has always been a dream for me to be in this team and my main priority is to win a world championship with the team. So not it’s not something in my mind."
Prior to arriving in Baku, there was speculation about Charles Leclerc potentially talking to Toto Wolff and Mercedes about switching to their team in 2024. When asked about it, the Monegasque was quick to dismiss any links to the Silver Arrows squad.
Charles Leclerc reckons Ferrari have to take a big step in terms of development
Charles Leclerc acknowledged the need for Ferrari to make leaps in terms of their car development. However, the driver is confident the team will be able to develop their car and improve their performance in the coming race weekends.
Asked if Ferrari will manage to improve over the course of the season, the Monegasque replied:
“Considering the step that there is to make, it is a really big one. On this, we are completely aware, and I'm the first one to be aware of it. But if I need to choose one team that can do that, it's Ferrari."
Charles Leclerc is convinced that Ferrari have the ability to turn around their performance woes. After a subpar start to the season, the Scarlets are placed fourth in the championship after three races. They're also set to lose their deputy team principal Laurent Mekies, who will be moving to replace Franz Tost as team principal at AlphaTauri.
