Is a new deal ‘imminent’ for Charles Leclerc at Ferrari?

For the first time in Formula 1 history, the grid for the opening race of next season will be identical to the grid that closed out the final race of the 2023 campaign. With the news late last week that Logan Sargeant would be back at Williams for the 2024 season, all 20 drivers that started the season finale at Yas Marina will be on the grid in Bahrain next year.

Now one of those drivers is on the verge of locking up his seat for the foreseeable future.

Over at Ferrari, both Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc are set to see their current deals with the Scuderia come to a close at the end of the 2024 campaign. In fact, the Ferrari duo are just two of 13 drivers who are set to see their deals expire at the end of next season.

A new deal for Leclerc has long been rumored — with many wondering if the team would announce such a contract at the Italian Grand Prix — but reports in recent days indicate that a new mega-deal is “imminent.”

According to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrari is set to sign Leclerc to a massive five-year deal, that will keep him in red through the 2029 season, In addition, the reported contract will see his annual contract balloon to $50 million by the final year of that contract period, putting Leclerc on par with Max Verstappen, whose Red Bull deal is set to expire at the end of 2028.

Should such a deal arise, it would demonstrate a massive commitment from Ferrari to Leclerc ... as well as a massive commitment from Leclerc to the team.

Yet, one can understand why Leclerc would be willing to make such a move. Ferrari gave him his break in the sport, as he signed with the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016, and got his first spot in F1 with Sauber in 2018.

Where Frederic Vasseur, the current Team Principal at Ferrari, was serving as the Team Principal.

Of course, this reported deal opens the door to speculation about Sainz’s future with Ferrari. When the team announced that Vasseur was replacing Mattia Binotto ahead of this past season, many wondered what it would mean for Sainz. Not only was there a previous relationship between Vasseur and Leclerc, but in years past Vasseur had outlined how F1 teams need a “lead driver.” Years ago, Vasseur stated that “[f]or the last 25 years, all good projects have been built around a reference driver. Ferrari with Schumacher, Renault with Alonso, Red Bull with Vettel, Mercedes with Hamilton.”

If the reported mega-deal for Leclerc comes to fruition, what might that mean for Sainz?

According to various reports, Sainz and Ferrari have begun discussing a new contract that would keep him with the team beyond 2024. However, a sticking point is reportedly the length of a new deal. While Sainz is seeking a two-year commitment, according to Gazzetta, the team is looking at a one year deal that would keep him in red through 2025.

Which, coincidentally, is when Lando Norris’s current deal expires with McLaren.

Could Ferrari try and lure Norris to Maranello? A one-year deal with Sainz would at least allow the team to keep their options open.

What does all of this mean?

While the grid might remain unchanged from the end of 2023 to the start of 2024, it looks — at least at the moment — that changes could be in store for 2025.