Toto Wolff addresses reports linking Charles Leclerc with Mercedes move
Leclerc’s contract at Ferrari expires at the end of the 2024 season but the Monegasque has been linked with replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes amid his contract stand-off
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Your support makes all the difference.Toto Wolff has admitted Charles Leclerc is on Mercedes’ “long-term radar” – but moved to dismiss speculation linking the Ferrari driver with replacing Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton, who has won six of his seven world titles with Mercedes since his arrival at the team in 2013, is out of contract at the end of the 2023 Formula One season.
While both the 38-year-old and Mercedes boss Wolff have emphasised that a new deal will be signed, no extension on his deal reportedly worth £40m-a-year seems forthcoming at this point of the season.
Although Mercedes have had issues of their own to contend with, reports in the Italian media have linked Ferrari’s Leclerc with a move to the Silver Arrows. Leclerc’s deal at the Scuderia expires at the end of the 2024 season.
Hamilton and Leclerc dismissed rumours last week, and Wolff addressed the speculation and was asked whether he had held any talks with the 25-year-old.
“The only time I talked with him is when we discussed where the gate is in Melbourne to board the plane,” Wolff said. “Charles is a super guy and for the long-term future someone you have to have on your radar but not for the short and medium term.
“Nobody doubts Charles’s ability and he is a good guy. He is 100 per cent committed to Ferrari and we are 100 per cent committed to putting pen to paper with Lewis.”
Leclerc, who signed his current contract with Ferrari back in 2019, implored that there were no talks “for the moment” between himself and Mercedes.
“No, not yet. Not for the moment. For now, I am fully focused on the project I am in today, which is Ferrari, and I fully trust and am confident for the future. Then we will see, but I am fully confident for the project of Ferrari.
“I’m fully committed to Ferrari and I love Ferrari. It has always been a dream for me to be in this team and my main priority is to win a world championship with this team. So it’s not something in my mind.”
Pressed on if he’d been contacted by Mercedes boss Wolff, Leclerc replied: “No. Zero. Zero. Really zero. You all smile because you don’t believe me, but I promise.”
Hamilton was unbothered about the reports when asked in the pre-race press conference in Azerbaijan.
Asked if the rumours had any impact on his contract negotiations, he said: “No, not really. I think maybe some of the drivers all have different relationships with different bosses and stuff.
“I like where I am, I love my team, and I’m grateful for the journey we’ve been on and what we’re working on moving forwards. So, it doesn’t have any impact, no.”
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