MOTOR RACING: Leclerc confirms multi-year extension with Ferrari

Driver Charles Leclerc has committed to Ferrari in a multi-year contract extension, the Formula One team confirmed on Wednesday ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.

The 28-year-old Monegasque has driven for the Maranello-based outfit in F1 since 2019, winning eight races.

"I couldn't be happier to continue this journey with Scuderia Ferrari HP. It has always been so much more than just a team to me," Leclerc said in a statement issued by Ferrari.

Leclerc is currently third in the 2026 drivers' championship behind Mercedes' leading Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

He is already Ferrari’s second-most capped F1 driver and ranks second for pole positions, behind only Michael Schumacher.

Ferrari did not specify the duration of his new contract, saying only that he would continue for the "coming seasons" in the championship.

"Charles has been part of the Ferrari family for many years now and this renewal feels like something very natural for us," team principal Fred Vasseur said.

"Over these seasons we have seen him grow, to become not only one of the strongest drivers in Formula 1, but also a person who is completely at one with the team and everything Ferrari represents.

"We know how much this project means to him and we are happy to continue working towards our shared goals."

-Writing by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Kevin Buckland/Reuters