Charles Leclerc renews Ferrari deal ahead of Monaco Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc has renewed his contract with Ferrari, keeping him at the team for "the coming seasons," according to an announcement from the team.

Ferrari confirmed the news on Wednesday ahead of Leclerc's home Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, but did not reveal the length or details of the deal.

Leclerc last signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari in 2024 and at the end of last season hinted that the team's start under Formula 1's new regulations in 2026 would determine whether he stayed at the team, saying "it's now or never."

Although Ferrari has not made a winning start under the new rules this year, Leclerc, who joined its driver academy in 2016 and started racing for the F1 team in 2019, said he was still committed to the dream of winning a world championship with Ferrari.

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

"It's the team I've loved and dreamt of being part of since I was a child, and after all these years it has become a second family. Together we've shared incredible moments and some tougher ones, but I believe in this team more than ever, and I'm deeply grateful that we will keep pushing side by side toward our shared goal of bringing the world championship back to Maranello.

"Being a Ferrari driver is a dream, but it's also a responsibility I never take for granted. I'll continue to give absolutely everything I have to bring this team back to where it belongs, at the very top, for everyone in Maranello, and above all for the tifosi, whose passion is the heartbeat of this Scuderia."

Ferrari last won a drivers' championship in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen and last won a constructors' title in 2008.

Leclerc has won eight races in F1, all with Ferrari, and finished a career-best second in the championship in 2022.

Team principal Fred Vasseur said keeping Leclerc at the team was an easy decision for Ferrari.

"Charles has been part of the Ferrari family for many years now and this renewal feels like something very natural for us," he 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 appreciate his talent, we love his determination and the way he approaches every day with the people in the Scuderia, both on and off the track. We know how much this project means to him and we are happy to continue working towards our shared goals."

Leclerc is currently teammates with Lewis Hamilton, who has made clear he will continue at the team beyond the end of this season.

"I'm still under contract [next year], so everything is 100% clear to me," Hamilton said at the last round in Canada.

"I'm still focused, I'm still motivated, I still love what I do with all my heart, and I'm going to be here for quite some time, so get used to it.

"There's a lot of people that are trying to retire me, and that's not even on my thoughts. I'm already thinking of what will be next, and planning for the next five years, but yeah, I'm still planning to be here for some time."