“I want to finish the mission with a world championship”: Charles Leclerc on spending ‘quarter of his life’ with Ferrari

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc recently stated that he continues to maintain his aspirations of winning a world title with the Italian team and bringing an end to their championship drought.

Leclerc will soon be entering the final year of his five-year Ferrari contract. The deal, which was signed between the two parties back in 2019 with great hope, is yet to harbour the results either of them desired.

Although there have been swirling rumors of a contract extension between Leclerc and Ferrari, no significant achievement has come to life.

With his contract running out next season, the idea of the Monegasque driver being on the hunt for a different employer and contend for the world championship in a different car sounds tantalizing.

However, Charles Leclerc was quick to dismiss any such talks. When speaking to ESPN in a recent interview, he said:

"I don't really think to that because Ferrari is so special and I wouldn't change my position with anyone else on the grid."

Leclerc added:

"Do I want to win world championships? Of course, this is the same for everybody, but do I want to change my place with anyone? No, I don't."

Charles Leclerc has been a part of the Ferrari family since 2016 as a youth driver. The 26-year-old feels confident when affirming his future with the Prancing Horse for the foreseeable future. He said:

"I have always been dreaming of being a Formula One driver, and even more so with Ferrari. It's a bit of a family feeling now, it's been so many years I have been within the team, whether it is as an actual race driver for Ferrari or at the Ferrari Driver Academy in the years before."

Leclerc still aims to clinch a world championship with Ferrari and complete the "mission." He said:

"It's been many years together and I want to finish the mission with a world championship."

Does Charles Leclerc feel pressure being a Ferrari driver?

With the heaps of expectations that the Monegasque driver has failed to live up to, the idea of Charles Leclerc feeling frustrated or burnt out with his Ferrari stint does not seem unrealistic. However, the 26-year-old begs to differ.

In the same interview, Leclerc quashed any ideas of giving up. He said:

"There is so much passion around the team that you of course feel the responsibility, but that doesn't add pressure to me."

He added:

"I'm not someone that is getting pressure, I just enjoy what I do with a lot of passion and a lot of dedication in trying to do the best job possible and hopefully becoming a world champion as soon as possible."

With his contract with Ferrari soon coming to an end, Charles Leclerc's future in F1 will be one of the topics to keep an eye on.