Published 12:42 IST, December 30th 2019
Charles Leclerc beats Michael Schumacher with $10m, 5-yr deal with Ferrari; here is how
Charles Leclerc's salary has tripled to €9 million, closing the gap to four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, although he remains on a deal much more per year.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc on Monday signed a 5-year contract extension with the Italian giants after performing impressively in the first season with them in 2019. Leclerc won 2 races and had 10 podium finishes in the very first season and also outscored his teammate and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. The deal signed by Leclerc until 2022 is the longest on the grid, but his new agreement will keep him with the Italian team until 2025.
FI: Charles Leclerc contract and his salary
In a sport where contracts are handed from season to season, a driver signing a 5-year deal is the rarest. The great Michael Schumacher himself did not sign one particular deal with Ferrari for more than 3 years. According to Corriere dello Sport, Charles Leclerc's salary has tripled to €9 million, closing the gap to Sebastian Vettel, although he remains on a deal worth much more per year. The 22-year-old's extension also arrives amid rumours that Lewis Hamilton could be his team-mate in 2021, with Mercedes' 6-time world champion having met Ferrari president John Elkann in 2019.
Lewis Hamilton to move to Ferrari?
Lewis Hamilton is committed to Mercedes until the end of the 2020 campaign. However, according to leading Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, discussions have already taken place between Hamilton and Ferrari. The rumours picked up after Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto said that he was 'happy' that someone of Lewis Hamilton’s quality is available post-2020. The report stated that there have been two meetings between Ferrari President Elkann and Hamilton in 2019. It is believed that the Mercedes driver expressed his disappointment with Ferrari when they signed up German rival Sebastian Vettel with a 3-year deal back in 2017. Both Vettel and Hamilton fit the bill, but it remains to be seen if the German can convince Ferrari that he remains at the peak of his powers.
F1: Charles Leclerc on the potential arrival of Lewis Hamilton
Sebastian Vettel’s deal will be expiring at the end of next season and Hamilton would be a major asset to Ferrari, according to Charles Leclerc in a recent interview with The Guardian. The 22-year-old driver would relish the chance to have Hamilton drive alongside him. He said that in F1, he wants to fight against the best. He added that he had a big opportunity to have had Vettel next to him, who is a 4-time World Champion and he has learned a lot from him.
Updated 12:49 IST, December 30th 2019