Charles Leclerc is the new kid on the block but has already been getting a lot of applause for his style of driving and how he has been grinding out results even with the Sauber car.
Leclerc has admitted that he is ready to take that leap of faith and move to Ferrari next season, if the opportunity arises.
With Raikkonen not performing as expected, Ferrari are on the lookout for a driver to partner Vettel from next season.
And while initially the talk was all around Ricciardo, his insane salary expectations have put Ferrari off and they have turned their attention towards the highly talented Charles Leclerc.
What initially started off as a stray rumour, picked up pace within the last week and the today, Gazzetta dello Sport are reporting that a deal has been agreed upon by Ferrari and Leclerc.
The deal would be a two year one considering that the new engine rules will kick in from 2021.
Coming to the monetary aspect of the deal, it is expected that Leclerc will be earning € 2m in 2019 and € 3m in 2020. The official announcement could be made between Spa and Monsa.
Gazzetta dello Sport: Charles Leclerc è il pilota della Ferrari 2019 che affiancherà Vettel. Per lui un contratto biennale di 2mln € (2019), 3mln € (2020). Annuncio atteso tra Spa e Monza come da tradizione. #AustrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 #SkyMotori
— Chris™ (@krisracing) June 29, 2018
With the deal all but agreed, Raikkonen will be on the driver’s market and it would be interesting to see if the McLaren rumours actually come true, or if he would be making the switch to WRC.
