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Charles Leclerc announced his contract extension with Ferrari recently, ending any speculation of a possible divorce in the near future. While the divorce looked unlikely anyway, one thing stands out from Leclerc's comments in the press release.
The driver specifically touched on what was a childhood memory of him watching the Monaco GP and keeping a keen eye on the 'red cars.' He touched on how he was a fan; it was a dream to drive and win for Ferrari. The dream of driving for the team has been achieved but the dream of winning with the Italian giant is still distant at this stage.
The one thing that became clear when you go through Charles Leclerc's comments in the press release is that the driver not only made this decision after looking at what the team was capable of delivering, but there's also a major factor of him just being a Ferrari fan and making his dream a reality.
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The exact length of his deal is not confirmed, but some sources suggest it could run until 2029, according to others it might be a bit shorter than that. What is certain is that Leclerc is committed to Ferrari and will not be available for other teams anytime soon.
There is, however, another thing that's clear now. Charles Leclerc has taken a major gamble with his long-term contract, and by the time it expires, he'll either be an F1 legend or dragged down into obscurity.
Ferrari's poor track record
Charles Leclerc's future with Ferrari was not in doubt because of the team's lack of prestige or resources, but because of their poor performance in recent seasons.
The Italian squad is the most successful team in F1 history, but one would have to strain his memory to remember the last time the team won a title. For reference, only two drivers on the current grid were still racing when Ferrari last won a title in 2008 (constructors). Since then, there have been many big promises and small results.
The team has been able to take the title fight to the last round of the championship only twice since 2008. The frequent changes of team principals also indicate that the team has many problems to solve.
Former multiple champions who had faith in Ferrari
The list of talented drivers who made their way to Ferrari with the hope of doing the impossible and buying into the belief that they could be successful is quite extensive.
Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso are among the recent drivers who left the team without much success. If we go back a few decades, Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell also failed to achieve anything remarkable with the team.
These drivers also had a sense of pride and passion that pushed them towards joining Ferrari, and these drivers were victims of the team's tendency to self-immolate. These are also the names that Leclerc would have thought of before signing his contract extension.
Charles Leclerc risks the same fate as Sebastian Vettel
Charles Leclerc has taken a big risk with his Ferrari stint. He has two possible outcomes: he could follow Michael Schumacher’s footsteps and win the championship, or he could fade into obscurity. Unlike him, drivers like Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, or Alain Prost had already secured their titles and reputations before joining Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc doesn't have that luxury, and there's a serious risk of him going down the same route as Sebastian Vettel did. After a few seasons where Vettel performed at a very high level with Ferrari, the German was overwhelmed with the team's pressure and the highly political environment. Far too many things were going haywire in the background, and it affected his driving.
Leclerc's performance in 2022 was hampered by Ferrari's bloopers. If that continues, and he knows there are multiple years that he still has left on his contract, that will affect anyone mentally.
It could affect his driving as well, and it is at that moment that a driver's stock falls. F1 is a ruthless sport where time is precious. There are always new talents coming through the gates.
