Charles Leclerc has signed a multi-year contract extension with Ferrari. He was a Ferrari protégé, part of the Scuderia’s elite young driver academy, which eventually earned him an F1 seat with Sauber in 2018. He impressed in his first full F1 season, and Ferrari inevitably came calling for his services for the 2019 season.

Leclerc is fast and consistent, two traits that mark him out as a future world champion. He is 28 — still young — but entering that tipping point where age begins to matter and the end of a career starts to feel closer.

Seven years at Ferrari: 155 races, 52 podiums, 27 pole positions, and 8 race wins. Yet he has still not wrapped his arms around a world title. Ferrari, meanwhile, have produced mixed performances across those campaigning years.

Truth be told, Ferrari has been inconsistent — promising much during testing phases, but delivering little when it matters most in a Formula 1 season.

One might have assumed Leclerc would have left Ferrari by now, but his loyalty has remained as consistent as his performances. The Ferrari management, in turn, regard him almost as a son they have failed to deliver for.

And that is the problem for Leclerc: pity and empathy do not win races or championships. Having the best car and the best driver does. Ferrari have not produced a championship-winning machine since Vettel’s tenure in 2017 and 2018.

Indeed, Ferrari have not won a championship in nearly 20 years. For a team of their engineering pedigree and capability, that is simply not acceptable.

Yet the lure of Ferrari — the passion, the heritage, the struggle, the history — remains powerful. It is a magic no other team can fully replicate. And that is why Leclerc has signed a multi-year contract extension.

There are also likely strategic considerations at play: rival drivers’ contract situations and seat availability. But in Leclerc’s own words, he was not interested in other options.

“I have never really evaluated alternatives. There have certainly been conversations, also because after ten years in this paddock, relationships are created that go beyond the simple professional sphere.”

“As far as I’m concerned, and I want to say it, what I wanted to do has always been very clear.”

“I love this sport, and I consider myself very lucky to be able to do what I’m doing. But it’s difficult to have a clear vision of the future, to imagine how I’ll feel in two, three, five or ten years’ time.”

“Formula 1 has always been the most important thing in my life, but I’m also someone who loves his family, and right now I don’t know where I’ll be or what my situation will be in a few years’ time.

“There could be factors that might influence my overall outlook.”