Soon before Ferrari made the blockbuster announcement that seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton will join them from 2025 onwards, the Italian outfit also extended their partnership with Charles Leclerc. As per Corriere della Sera (quoted by Racingnews365.com), this brand new deal would help the Monegasque earn a hefty $30,000,000 a year in terms of base salary. While it is a reported $6,000,000 increment from his previous contract with the team, Leclerc can earn several millions more with bonuses. Now, after signing his new contract, the 26-year-old is keener than ever to fight for the championship.
He was quoted on X (formerly Twitter) as saying, “It’s a very special team, it means a lot to keep driving for Ferrari and I hope this new contract will bring us to my first championship, to bring Ferrari at the top.”
about his renewal: “i’m very happy of the fact i renewed for many years with ferrari because it’s the team of my heart, the one that allowed me to be in F1 and believed in me since the beginning.
it’s a very special team, it means a lot to keep driving for ferrari and i hope… pic.twitter.com/WYECaw7J2b
— leclerc data (@leclercdata) February 13, 2024
Ever since Charles Leclerc joined the team in 2019, he has failed to be in a position to fight for the title. The closest the Monacan racing ace got to his maiden championship was in 2022. However, a mid-season collapse for him and Ferrari handed Max Verstappen his second consecutive title. In 2023, Ferrari arguably took a step back with the SF-23.
Meanwhile, Red Bull took a massive step forward with the all-conquering RB19. The Milton Keynes outfit exerted complete dominance by winning 21 out of the 22 races. As for Ferrari, the team have taken a bold step in 2024 with the SF-24, as they claim to have a 95% revamped car from last year’s challenger.
SF-24 reveals tangible results of development by Ferrari
The biggest area that Ferrari have worked on is the suspension of the SF-24. From the preliminary analysis of the car’s running at Fiorano, Formu1a.uno has reported a few interesting tidbits of design insights.
Ferrari have overhauled its rear suspension, while its front suspension seems to be a cross-over between a new design and overlapping concepts of the 2023 car. Additionally, the team has also taken the bold move of being the only side on the grid to employ a pull-rod suspension for the rear axles of the car.
The new @scuderiaferrari SF-24 has run for the first time at the team’s Fiorano test track with @Carlossainz55 at the wheel.
Video: Ferrari#F1 pic.twitter.com/Rc3TCoL0YY
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) February 13, 2024
Moreover, the team has reportedly also started working on the 2025 and 2026 cars. For 2025, the team will focus mainly on the 2026 car as this would require significant indulgence, being the first of the latest regulation reset. This is a clear signal of intent that Ferrari want to once again fight for the championship in the near future.
2026 could drastically alter the pecking order and Ferrari seem like one of the favorites to nail the engine regulations. An added bonus for the team would be the stability that they have, with Charles Leclerc signing a new contract extension.
