"I don’t want to put this topic on the table today" - New Charles Leclerc contract 'not a priority' for Ferrari boss

Scuderia Ferrari's newly appointed team principal Frederic Vasseur has stated that renewing Charles Leclerc's contract is not an immediate priority for him, despite rumors linking the Monegasque with other teams, most notably Mercedes.

Leclerc is under contract with the Prancing Horse until the end of the 2024 season. With less than two years left, he has been linked with a move to Mercedes, where he is expected to replace Lewis Hamilton when the Briton calls time on his career.

The 25-year-old, however, has always stated his love for Ferrari and said that his “dream” was to race for them. He told L’Equipe:

“2024 is still a long time away and there is still a little time left at Ferrari. This team has always been my dream. My objective for now is to win with Ferrari. Then we'll see. I am very happy at Ferrari and I want to win with them.”

Leclerc has a pre-existing relationship with Vasseur after being mentored by the Frenchman in his junior career. He also made his Formula 1 debut with Alfa Romeo-branded Sauber team in 2018, where Vasseur was the team principal.

In his first press interaction since taking over the reins of Ferrari, Vasseur downplayed the importance of a contract extension for Leclerc. He said (via Crash.net):

"I don't want to put this topic [Charles Leclerc's contract extension] on the table today, I think it wouldn't be a good way to start the collaboration. We have to be focused on the sporting side, to get results. And it's like for the wedding, if both sides of the table are happy with the situation, that we will continue.”

He added:

“But I think it's not the priority today. We have a good relationship. And we'll have time to discuss about this. First, I think the only topic today, we have to be focused on pure performance and to get results.”

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Charles Leclerc is not Ferrari's No. 1 driver, states team principal Frederic Vasseur

Fred Vasseur has stated that Charles Leclerc will not be the team's lead driver for the upcoming season. He revealed that the team will operate as they did in 2022 — without a driver hierarchy.

The 54-year-old said that he has made it "crystal clear" to both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz that they will be given equal treatment by the team. He told Sky Italy:

“The target of the team is to win - with Ferrari and for Ferrari, this is the policy of the team. I already spoke with the drivers [Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz] about this. It's crystal clear that we'll give them exactly the same treatment and we'll support both of them in the same way.”

The Frenchman did state that if either Leclerc or Sainz performs significantly better than the other, the team will readjust its strategy accordingly. On this, he said:

“For sure, if at one stage during the season, one is in a much better place to fight for the championship, we'll have to take action, but it's not that one will be the number one from the beginning of the season.”