Former Ferrari driver gives his take on 'Charles Leclerc to Mercedes' rumors

Former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi believes Charles Leclerc will not leave the Scuderia team to join Mercedes. The Monegasque driver has been rumored to potentially replace Lewis Hamilton in the Brackley-based squad soon.

Leclerc's stint with Ferrari is rumored to be coming to a close, especially considering the team's woeful state in 2023. Further, with Lewis Hamilton's contract renewal in jeopardy, many believe the Monegasque will move to Brackley later in his career.

However, the 25-year-old has expressed only faith and confidence in his team and wants to remain with the Prancing Horses for a long time. Former driver Jean Alesi personally believes that a lot of drivers dream of racing for the Scuderia and that Charles Leclerc will not leave the team unless absolutely necessary.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Alesi said:

"I think the dream for a lot of drivers is to be a Ferrari driver and Charles is in Ferrari. I don't think he wants to leave."

Speaking about Leclerc's qualifying skills, Alesi continued:

"Immediately we found out in Turn 1. He was already on the limit, he was already kissing the barrier and that was already a message for the laptime he had at the end".

Charles Leclerc's exit clause could mean premature departure from Ferrari

Charles Leclerc has an exit clause in his current contract with Ferrari, allowing him to leave the team before his contract expires if he fails to achieve a specific points tally by August.

Leclerc's 2023 season has gotten off to a rocky start, with two DNFs and just six points from the initial four races, leading to the possibility of his early departure from Ferrari.

While Leclerc led the 2022 drivers' championship for a significant period before his push for a maiden world championship fell apart, he and the Scuderia have failed to impress this year despite high expectations.

Ferrari had hoped that their SF-23 car would be an improvement over the previous year's model and secure their first championship since 2007.

However, the car's high tire degradation and drag have resulted in a worse performance than last season.

Despite being bound to Ferrari until the end of the 2024 season, there is speculation that Charles Leclerc may invoke his exit clause to leave the team if he does not meet the minimum points threshold. Helmut Marko of Red Bull has claimed that this clause was the reason behind Sebastian Vettel's departure from Red Bull and his subsequent move to Ferrari in 2015.

However, with his most recent podium in Baku, the Monegasque has proven that the Scuderia team does have serious pace under the right circumstances.