RacingCharles Leclerc put the exit talk back in its box, calling Ferrari “family” and vowing to see the project through as the Scuderia chases its first Formula 1 titles since 2008 and 2007. The Ferrari driver said the gains with this year’s SF-26 back up his belief that the team is moving the right way. “Ferrari is family and a team that I've always loved and dreamed of driving for since I was a kid, and this hasn't changed one bit since I joined the team in 2019,” Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver, said in media comments to outlets including RacingNews365.
The drought frames everything at Maranello, but Leclerc said it fuels him rather than deters him. “Then, of course, the will to win, and we want to win eventually, and I want to win... It's been so many years, obviously working with the team to try and come back to the top,” Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver, said in media comments to outlets including RacingNews365.
He pointed to early 2026 as evidence that Ferrari is edging forward. Leclerc noted two podiums in the first three races and second place in the Shanghai Sprint as markers of a step, while keeping the bar high for what comes next. “It's been a good step forward this year; we are just not yet where we want to be, and we'll keep pushing towards that direction,” he said. “I hope our time will come soon... I'm doing my best and I hope our time will come this year or as soon as possible,” Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver, said in media comments.
Outside observers have reached similar conclusions about the car’s status so far. The SF-26 was described as the grid’s second-best package early in the season, according to reporting around the opening rounds. That context helps explain why Leclerc chose to publicly underline his plans with Ferrari at a moment when talk of future moves surfaced again.
Since arriving at Ferrari in 2019 after rising through its academy, Leclerc has won eight Grands Prix for the team and finished second in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship. Speculation over his future has persisted as the wait for titles stretches on, with his deal believed to run until 2029, according to reports. Leclerc’s message, though, stayed consistent: the target is winning with Ferrari, not looking elsewhere.
He also summed up the current front of the grid in one-word snapshots that reveal how he views the rivals. “That’s easy, passion” for Ferrari, “speed” for McLaren, “precision” for Mercedes, and “ambition” for Red Bull, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver, said during the BSMT podcast with Gianluca Gazzoli. The words matched his stance, leaning into what he says defines Ferrari and why he wants to be the one to bring titles back.
“I’m doing my best and I hope our time will come this year or as soon as possible,” Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver, said in media comments.