Leclerc Contract Extension Signals Ferrari’s True Number One Driver Ahead Of Monaco

Charles Leclerc has signed a new contract extension with Ferrari that is set to take him deep into the 2030s, securing his future at Maranello in historic fashion.
Should Leclerc see out the full deal, he would become Ferrari’s longest serving driver of all time, breaking Michael Schumacher’s records for most grands prix with the team at 180 and most seasons at 11.
The news itself may not be a shock given Leclerc’s deep-rooted connection with the Scuderia, but the implications for Lewis Hamilton are significant and potentially uncomfortable.
Leclerc has been a Ferrari driver since 2019, and almost immediately upon arrival he effectively forced four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel out of the team through sheer on-track performance.
Hamilton, meanwhile, has had a turbulent first season at Maranello, with his relationship with race engineer Riccardo Adami breaking down so badly that Adami was eventually removed from the role entirely.
The seven-time world champion has also distanced himself from Ferrari’s simulation team, choosing to rely on his own experience and feel rather than the tools the team provides its drivers.
Before the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Hamilton was publicly posting cryptic messages about people trying to retire him, with some suggesting the message may have been aimed at those within Ferrari itself.
Hamilton’s recent upturn in form at the Canadian Grand Prix, where he claimed a career-best second place, has offered some breathing room, but his position at the team remains politically delicate.
Hamilton himself once described Ferrari’s culture in candid terms, saying: “The Italians, oh my god, there’s literally a scheduled time in the day, lunch, they can never ever miss. Sometimes I go to the garage to like talk to my mechanics, I’m like, ‘where is everyone?’ and they reply ‘They’re at lunch’.”
That anecdote speaks volumes about a driver still coming to terms with the deeply embedded Italian culture that defines Ferrari from top to bottom.
Hamilton currently holds a Ferrari contract potentially running until the end of 2028, by which point he will be 43 years old, while Leclerc will still be at his competitive peak.
With Hamilton reportedly earning a €60 million salary and Leclerc consistently outperforming him, Ferrari’s hierarchy will inevitably lean their development resources toward the Monegasque driver.
Leclerc’s new long-term deal only deepens his grip on the team at a critical moment, heading into the Monaco Grand Prix where Ferrari are considered favourites to win for the first time in years.
Ferrari is a team that has previously moved on from the likes of Schumacher, Alain Prost, Kimi Raikkonen, Vettel, and Fernando Alonso without hesitation, and history suggests they will not change that approach for Hamilton.
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