How long is Charles Leclerc’s new Ferrari F1 contract?

Charles Leclerc has pledged his Formula 1 future to Ferrari with a fresh contract extension, but how long is his new deal?

Ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, which is Leclerc’s home race, Ferrari announced a new long-term contract for the 28-year-old.

Ferrari was light on details, offering only that the renewal will keep Leclerc with the team for the “coming seasons” as part of what was described as being a “multi-year” deal.

The finer details of F1 driver contracts, such as the exact length, are typically kept private by teams during such announcements.

Even when deals are confirmed with more transparency, contracts often include performance-related clauses that would enable a driver to leave if certain conditions are not met.

One prime example is Max Verstappen’s situation at Red Bull.

The Dutchman has a base contract that, on paper, ties him down to the Milton Keynes squad until the end of 2028, but several exit clauses that have been inserted - and re-negotiated - during his time at Red Bull could see him depart sooner.

What we do know in Leclerc’s case is that this is the second contract extension he has signed in the past two years.

Back in January 2024, Leclerc penned a new long-term deal that said he would continue with Ferrari for “several more seasons to come”.

While details were not disclosed, it is understood Leclerc put pen to paper on a further five years, running until 2029.

Leclerc’s existing arrangement means that the latest extension will likely keep him at Ferrari beyond 2030.

This would represent the current longest driver contract on the F1 grid.

It is also highly likely, although not confirmed, that Leclerc’s new deal will include performance-related exit clauses.

Why has Leclerc stuck with Ferrari?

For Leclerc, Ferrari is his dream F1 seat.

Ever since joining the famous Italian team in 2019, Leclerc has made it clear that his ambition is to bring the F1 world championship back to Maranello.

However, it has ultimately been a frustrating seven-year journey for Leclerc, who has not been able to properly fight for a world championship.

Leclerc has only managed to convert eight of his 27 pole positions with Ferrari into victories during that time. It is a stark statistic. 

There were high hopes that 2026 would finally be the year that Ferrari provided Leclerc with championship-winning machinery, but that hope is quickly fading amid Mercedes’ dominant start to the season.

Leclerc’s new deal highlights his unwavering loyalty and faith in Ferrari, but one imagines there is only so much he can take before his patience finally runs out.

The problem for Leclerc is that he doesn’t have any true options elsewhere, and certainly none that would guarantee him a world title.

F1’s front-running teams Mercedes and McLaren have their driver line-ups locked in for the foreseeable. That leaves only a less competitive Red Bull with a potential vacancy in the coming years.

But that becoming an actual opening depends solely on what Verstappen decides to do next - and that is anyone’s guess.

Leclerc clearly wasn’t prepared to wait around on that possibility, and has put it all on red.