Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc breaks silence on Mercedes ‘talks’

Hamilton opens up on plans to remain in F1 ahead of 2023 season

Charles Leclerc has refused to rule out moving to Mercedes after rumours suggest he could ditch the Scuderia for the Silver Arrows. Leclerc explained he had not held talks with Mercedes bosses but teased fans as he hinted things could change. 

Suggestions Leclerc could move to Mercedes were heightened in the run-up to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with Italian media claiming a possible move was an “open secret” in the paddock. Addressing the links on Thursday, Leclerc said: “No, not yet. Not for the moment.

“For now, I am fully focused on the project I am in today, which is Ferrari and I fully trust and am confident for the future. Then we will see, but I am fully confident for the project of Ferrari.

“I’m fully committed to Ferrari and I love Ferrari. It has always been a dream for me to be in this team and my main priority is to win a world championship with this team. So it’s not something in my mind.”

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Leclerc was directly pushed on whether he had received a call from Mercedes ioss Toto Wolff over a potential deal. However, the Monegasque attempted to silence the remarks and promised that the Austrian had not been in touch.

He added: “No. Zero. Zero. Really zero. You all smile because you don’t believe me, but I promise.” It comes as Lewis Hamilton’s F1 future remains uncertain with a new deal at Mercedes yet to be struck. 

Wolff and Hamilton suggested a deal would be agreed over the winter break but a multi-year extension has yet to be signed. Since, Hamilton has been linked with his own move to Ferrari with the Italian squad one of the only team’s on the grid capable of delivering the Briton a race-winning car. 

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Former team boss turned pundit Eddie Jordan suggested it would be a “dream” to see Hamilton drive a Ferrari and hinted it was the transfer the sport “needed”.

Martin Brundle also predicted Hamilton would not be afraid to leave Mercedes and stressed he had “one more roll of the dice”. However, Hamilton denied news of a possible Leclerc move could affect his chances of getting a new deal at Mercedes sorted.

He added: “I like where I am, I love my team, and I’m grateful for the journey we’ve been on and what we’re working on moving forwards. So, it doesn’t have any impact, no.”

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