Charles Leclerc Admits he Could Race Outside F1 at FIA Gala Amid Ferrari Exit Rumours

Charles Leclerc has admitted he could race outside of F1 and combine taking part in the sport with another classic race, if circumstances allow.

The Monegasque finished fifth in the Drivers' Championship and finished fourth at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which saw Lando Norris win his first F1 title.

The McLaren driver ended up beating four-time world champion Max Verstappen by just two points in the end as the destination of the title was finally confirmed.

Leclerc outperformed new Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton comprehensively in their first season together as a duo.

Leclerc ended the season with no wins but achieved seven podiums, while Hamilton did not finish in the top three of a Grand Prix for the first time in his career.

Hamilton did win the sprint race in China, but overall it was a disappointing season for the seven-time champion, Leclerc and the Ferrari team overall.

Having battled McLaren closely for last season's Constructors' Championship, Ferrari had been expected to take part in another closely fought battle, especially considering the driver line-up of Leclerc and Hamilton.

However, the Scuderia experienced a disappointing campaign and ended up fourth in the Constructors' Championship behind McLaren, Mercedes and a Red Bull team which are heavily reliant on Verstappen scoring the majority of its points.

Leclerc has been driving for Ferrari since 2019 and is aiming to win championships with the Italian outfit.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. (Image: Getty)

The next F1 season will see a huge change incoming with new engine and chassis regulations coming into force.

It remains to be seen what the pecking order will be next year and which teams will be the frontrunners.

Leclerc has made it clear it is critical that Ferrari makes progress in the first year of the new technical regulations though, even going so far as to say it is 'now or never' for the team to deliver success.

As per The Race, Leclerc said: "It's tough but at the same time, honestly, I think the whole team is hugely motivated for next year, because it's such a big change, a huge opportunity to show what Ferrari is capable of, and it's now or never.

"So I really hope that we will start this new era on the right foot, because, yeah, it's important for the four years after."

And amid rumours over his Ferrari future on the back of his comments, Leclerc has admitted he would be open to taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

However, he made it clear he would be seeking to combine doing this race with his F1 commitments and would not be leaving the pinnacle of motorsport in order to do take part.

Speaking at the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony when asked if he would want to take part in Le Mans, Leclerc said: "Definitely, actually quite a few times now.

"Now I need to find a way to try and combine Formula 1 and Le Mans because if I do something, I want to do it to try and win and for that needs preparation because the level is super high.

"But for sure, I would love to do it."