There has been intense speculation about Leclerc’s Ferrari future after his and the team’s title challenge in 2022 fell apart.
The Scuderia’s SF-23 package this year has been running well adrift of Red Bull’s class leading RB19.
During the early rounds of the season, Leclerc was linked with Mercedes as the German manufacturer is yet to sign Lewis Hamilton to a new deal alongside George Russell – talk that was quickly quashed by Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur also said back at the Australian Grand Prix in April that he was “not scared at all” about the possibility of losing Leclerc post-2024 and that it was then “not the right moment” to start negotiations about a possible extension.
But outside speculation has continued to mount about Leclerc’s future with Ferrari after his recent qualifying problems in Spain and Canada.
In Montreal, the Monegasque driver openly criticised his team for its decision not to change to slicks early in the wet Q2 session where he was subsequently knocked out, but afterwards Vasseur insisted his driver had later said “Ok, I was wrong” following internal discussions.
Ahead of the Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring this weekend, Autosport asked Leclerc if he had begun talks about extending his new deal following his team-mate Carlos Sainz explaining he wanted his own Ferrari future sorted this winter and Leclerc replied: “Slowly.
“We’re starting slowly to speak about it, yes.”
Source: Autosport