Italian Formula One racing giant Ferrari has officially announced a new long-term contract extension with star driver Charles Leclerc. The contract renewal was made public on Wednesday, arriving just days before the 28-year-old`s highly anticipated home race at the Monaco Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver has competed for the Maranello-based Scuderia Ferrari HP since 2019, securing eight Grand Prix victories over his tenure with the team.The multi-year renewal ensures Leclerc remains anchored to the historic Italian outfit for the coming seasons.
Leclerc currently occupies third place in the 2026 F1 drivers` championship standings. He sits 56 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who has surged ahead after winning the last four consecutive races to build a 43-point lead over teammate George Russell. Over his career, Leclerc has started 155 times for Ferrari, a historic tally exceeded only by retired seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. Furthermore, Leclerc ranks second only to the German icon in total pole positions secured for the team. Team principal Fred Vasseur praised the renewal as a natural evolution, emphasizing Leclerc`s absolute integration into the cultural identity and shared future goals of the organization.
Leclerc initially entered the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016, later claiming the Formula Two championship in 2017 before making his competitive F1 debut with Sauber in 2018. He currently partners with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari from Mercedes last year under a lucrative multi-year contract framework. Hamilton is positioned fourth in the current world standings, trailing Leclerc by a slim three-point margin. While Ferrari has not claimed a full Grand Prix victory since 2024 or a constructors` title since 2008, Hamilton secured a Saturday sprint victory in China last season and picked up a second-place finish in Canada last month.
During the current 2026 campaign, Leclerc has secured two podium finishes, placing third in both Australia and Japan alongside a runner-up finish at the Canadian Grand Prix in March. Analysts heavily favor Leclerc for his home race this weekend, as the unique Monaco circuit prioritizes qualifying grid position over raw straight-line speed. In 2024, Leclerc made history by becoming the first local driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix during the modern championship era, having achieved pole position on the track three times over the past five seasons.
