Questions arise over length of Leclerc’s new contract

Authoritative Italian media sources are unsure as to the length of Charles Leclerc’s newly-announced new Formula 1 contract with Ferrari.

The press release declared that the highly-rated 26-year-old is now staying on "beyond the 2024 season", while Leclerc was quoted as saying he will keep driving in red "for several more seasons to come".

Well-known Ferrari insider Leo Turrini, however, says the opaque nature of Leclerc’s deal is unusual.

"Never, at least in recent history, has a multi-year extension of a (Ferrari) contract been announced without an indication of expiry," he said on Quotidiano Motori. "Never."

La Gazzetta dello Sport thinks Leclerc has signed through 2029 - so another five-year deal.

But the newspaper added that the deal probably has "exit clauses linked to performance after the third year". And with each passing year, Leclerc’s earnings will then rise from the current EUR 25m per year to "around double" if he gets to 2029.

Corriere dello Sport, on the other hand, thinks Leclerc’s contract is actually for four years.

Turrini explained: "Logically, the duration of the agreement is subject to conditions. Certainly he will race in 2025 and 2026, because it would be crazy to prolong the deal and ignore the first season (2026) of the new rules.

"After that, it presumably won’t depend either on him or even on (Frederic) Vasseur. But on results.

"In short, the renewal is good news. But there is no certainty about the future."