Published 08:16 IST, December 24th 2019
Charles Leclerc signs five-year contract extension with Ferrari
Extension comes after an impressive first season with the Italian team where Charles Leclerc won 2 races & reflects Ferrari's long term strategy & faith in him.
One of the youngest drivers on the grid, Charles Leclerc has signed a five-year contract extension with Ferrari. The extension comes at the back of an impressive first season with the Italian team, where Leclerc won two races and had ten podium finishes. The announcement was made on Monday morning.
Leclerc overjoyed
Leclerc finished the season fourth on the Championship table, 24 points ahead of four-time World Champion teammate Sebastian Vettel.
Speaking on the contract extension, Leclerc said, "I am very happy to be staying on with Scuderia Ferrari. This past season, driving for the most illustrious team in Formula 1 has been a dream year for me. I cannot wait to enjoy an even deeper relationship with the team after what has been an intense and exciting 2019. I’m keen to see what the future holds and I can’t wait to get going again next season.”
Speaking to the media, Team Principal Mattia Binotton said, "With each passing race this year, our wish to extend our contract with Charles became ever more self-evident and the decision means he will now be with us for the next five seasons. It demonstrates that Charles and the Scuderia have a firm future together. Charles has been part of our family since 2016 and we are more than proud of the results we are achieving with our Academy. We are therefore very pleased to be able to announce that he will be with us for many years to come and I’m sure that together, we will write many new pages in the history of the Prancing Horse.”
Ferrari finished second on the driver's standings with 504 points, more than 200 points behind winners Mercedes.
Updated 10:11 IST, December 24th 2019