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“2024 is a long time away”: Charles Leclerc may consider Ferrari for Mercedes exit if strategy blunders persist

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"2024 is a long time away": Charles Leclerc may consider Ferrari for Mercedes exit if strategy blunders persist

Charles Leclerc has been in the Ferrari ranks for the entirety of his F1 career. He even won the 2017 F2 World Championship as a junior for the Scuderia, before joining Sauber in F1 the next year. After spending just a year with the Hinwil-based outfit, Leclerc was called up by Ferrari.

So far, Leclerc has won five races with Ferrari, who have failed to provide him with a car that can compete for the Championship. The start of the 2022 season gave some optimism and the Tifosi, but performance soon faded and they began showing cracks in reliability. However, the biggest talking point of their 2o22 season was undoubtedly their strategy.

Over the course of the campaign, the Maranello squad made multiple blunders in the strategy department. This forced Leclerc to give up on a lot of points to Max Verstappen in the crucial early stages of the season. This raised questions over Leclerc’s loyalty to Ferrari, even though the 25-year-old has stated that being with the prancing horses is a dream for him.

Also read: Haas explain why Mick Schumacher was stopped from doing donuts at 2022 Abu Dhabi GP

Charles Leclerc may leave Ferrari if they underdeliver consistently

Ferrari is the most successful and one of the most widely supported F1 teams of all time.  However, they have been underperforming for the last decade and a half. Their last Drivers’ Champion was Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 and they took home the team’s Title in 2008.

If Ferrari doesn’t live up to their game soon, their star driver Leclerc may consider leaving Maranello. After the disappointing end to 2022, rumors have linked the Monegasque driver to Mercedes and he refused to rule them completely.

“2024 is a long time away,” he said according to GP blog. “And there is still time left at Ferrari. Being at this team has always been my dream. My objective at the moment is to win with Ferrari. Then we’ll see.”

Leclerc finished the 2022 F1 season in 2nd place, 146 points behind Verstappen. He only managed to hold onto the P2 position at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez breathing down his neck.

Also read: Alpine boss claims $15.6 million year investment is faster than their 2022 reserve driver Oscar Piastri

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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