Why Ferrari remains Leclerc’s best bet, and why a fresh start tempts
2026 shapes up as a make-or-break season for Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari future.
Why Leclerc should keep believing in Ferrari’s project for the long haul
Seven seasons without ever truly getting the chance to take a title fight down to the final race would be enough to break the resilience and goodwill of almost any Ferrari driver — let alone one with the talent and pedigree of Charles Leclerc.
And yet, the Leclerc we know today is also very much a product of Ferrari’s belief in him. The Scuderia backed him from a very young age, handed him his Formula 1 debut with Sauber, and fast-tracked him into the works team after just a single season.
Through Ferrari, Leclerc has become the idol of an entire Italian nation — hardly surprising given that the Scuderia is viewed almost as a religion, akin to a national football team, in a way that remains largely unique in Formula 1.
Even now, the Monegasque is still seen by many fans as the long-awaited messiah tasked with restoring the Prancing Horse to its former glory and ending a drivers’ championship drought that has lasted since 2007.
That narrative looked set to shift with the arrival of a figure as monumental as Lewis Hamilton, with much of the media spotlight inevitably turning to the Briton. But Leclerc has since reclaimed centre stage on merit alone, delivering results and performances of the very highest level.
There would also always be the lingering fear of making the wrong call — of leaving Ferrari at the wrong moment, only to watch the team flourish again with another driver at the wheel. For Leclerc, a lifelong devotee of the Prancing Horse by his own admission, that would represent a bitter and deeply personal blow.
Why Leclerc would be better off moving elsewhere
While the adulation of the crowds and the prestige of representing the Ferrari brand worldwide remain powerful reasons to stay, the reality is that he is rapidly approaching 30 — and with it the inevitable loss of the “young prospect” label.
Leclerc is part of the same generation as names like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, both of whom have already realised the dream of becoming world champions, with the Dutchman having already added four titles to his tally.
That leaves the Monegasque facing the risk of carrying the label of a brilliant underachiever for the rest of his career, much like Jean Alesi in the 1990s — another hugely gifted driver who never managed to turn his time with Ferrari into a world championship.
It is true that, for a team with Ferrari’s resources and capabilities, every season could in theory be the right one. But the reality is that nearly a decade has now gone by, and Leclerc’s trophy cabinet still reads zero world titles.
Looking elsewhere is therefore not just an option, but almost a necessity for a driver of his calibre — to avoid missing even more opportunities than he already has, while the next generation slowly but surely begins to take centre stage.
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