Photo credit: Panoramic
While Ferrari’s lack of performance has fueled rumors of a departure from Charles Leclerc, Toto Wolff has confirmed that the profile of the Monegasque driver interests him but that such an arrival could not be made in the near future.
Weariness could have gained Charles Leclerc. Before an Azerbaijan Grand Prix which saw him take pole position twice and climb the podium in both the sprint and the race, the Monegasque saw rumors multiply about him. In effect, the paddock was crossed by a corridor noise linking the 2022 world vice-champion to Mercedes with a view to replacing Lewis Hamillton. Indeed, the seven-time world champion is coming to the end of his contract with the German team and discussions for a new extension of the lease have not yet started. Rumors that reached the ears of Toto Wolff, who did not hesitate to comment on them, without however feeding them more than necessary. ” Charles Leclerc is a great guy and, for the long term future, someone to always have on your radar, told the press the boss of the Mercedes team. It’s clear. But not for the short and medium term. »
Wolff counts on Hamilton
Nevertheless, the Austrian leader assures that his priority is more to try to retain Lewis Hamilton than to try to woo a driver linked to a competitor until the end of the 2024 season. I think he is 100% committed and loyal to Ferrari under his contract., added Toto Wolff. And in the same way, we are 100% committed to putting pen tip to paper with Lewis Hamilton. Even if Mercedes is in great difficulty with a W14 which is absolutely no better born than its predecessor, the boss of the Silver Arrows is convinced that the Briton “feels really strong” despite the impossibility of playing the title this season. “We just have to give him a car that can do it,” Toto Wolff said. Hopefully we can make our package a winner this season and then have something that can bring him his eighth title. A prospect that is hard to believe without deep questioning from Brackley’s side.
