Charles Leclerc may have just displayed the ultimate level of loyalty to Ferrari after a recent interview ahead of the Dutch GP. Amid links with both Mercedes and Red Bull, the Monegasque made it clear to the newspaper la Repubblica that he would never swap his career with Max Verstappen’s even though the Dutchman has been fighting for wins consistently.
While Leclerc understands that he may not be able to fulfill his dream of winning a world championship with Ferrari right now, he cannot think of fulfilling his ambitions anywhere else. In the process, the 25-year-old once again made it clear that he wants to win at Ferrari and nowhere else.
Charles 🗣️”The field seems to be very tight here and there is still quite a lot of pace to be gained, especially on the qualifying runs. We will work hard on that overnight.”
Unfolding an unusual Friday in the Netherlands with the drivers 🇳🇱#DutchGP
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) August 25, 2023
Leclerc is willing to be patient, similar to how Michael Schumacher was at Ferrari. In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this year, the Monegasque himself explained how the German is the perfect example of an individual whose patience paid off at the Prancing Horse.
This is because after Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996, he had to wait four years before he tasted his first success with the team in 2000. However, once he won his first championship, the legendary driver went on to win four more consecutive titles in the years to come.
Charles Leclerc reveals he will never swap with Max Verstappen
The speculations surrounding the future of Charles Leclerc have increased as the Monegasque is still to sign a contract extension with Ferrari. Hence, in a recent interview with la Repubblica, Leclerc was asked if he ever thought of switching with Verstappen, who is aiming to win his third consecutive title this season.
In reply, Leclerc vehemently said (as quoted by formulapassion.it), “I would never change with him. In the sense that being a Ferrari driver has always been my dream and becoming world champion with Ferrari is my goal. I know that right now I don’t have the car to fight with Max, but I have no doubts that my path is right“.
After stating the same, he concluded his remarks by explaining the emotional connection he has with the Italian outfit. “I’ll look at my career when I stop, but I have no regrets or remorse. I’m happy at Ferrari,” concluded the 25-year-old. However, if Leclerc is to fulfill his goal of winning at Ferrari, he will need to extend his contract first since it expires at the end of the next season.
Doubts remain on Leclerc’s contract situation at Ferrari
While speaking to the media ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, Charles Leclerc admitted that his future at Ferrari yet remains unclear. He made these remarks soon after reports emerged that he had signed a blockbuster deal with the team.
At the beginning of this month, reports emerged that the Monegasque had signed a record contract with Ferrari that would see him receive a whopping $24,000,000 hike on his current deal. Therefore, in his most recent interaction with the media, the 25-year-old hilariously said (as quoted by gpfans.com) that he wished he had signed such a contract as it seems like a “great deal“.
After stating the same, Leclerc once again stated that he is not even worried about extending his contract with Ferrari at the moment. He stated that his sole priority is to have a good race at Zandvoort this weekend and get the best result he can for the team.
