Charles Leclerc Future Questioned as Three F1 Teams 'Hold Talks' Over Ferrari Star

Three F1 teams have held preliminary talks over Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, a new report has claimed.

Leclerc joined the Scuderia in 2019 on an initial three-year contract, and won two races in his first season.

He is set to enter his eighth campaign as a Ferrari driver in 2026, having agreed a contract extension at the beginning of 2024.

The exact length of the deal was not disclosed but BBC Sport reported that it is 'likely to take him past his 30th birthday', which is in October 2027.

Leclerc won three races last season and finished third in the Drivers' Championship, but this season has been much more of a struggle.

Ferrari have faced various issues throughout 2025, with the most significant of those occurring in the first races when the team encountered to fix a major floor problem.

They had to increase the ride height on both cars after it was found that the floor was too close to the track, causing excessive wear to the skid blocks and disqualification for both Leclerc and team-mate Lewis Hamilton in China.

Ferrari have introduced a number of upgrades throughout the season but rarely have competed for race wins.

In the most recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton and Leclerc finished eighth and ninth respectively.

After confusion over a proposed swap of positions between the two drivers on the final straight, Leclerc said over team radio: "Ah, I don't really care. It's for an eighth place ... he can enjoy that P8."

Ferrari will hope to be far more competitive next season when new engine and power unit regulations are introduced into F1.

But according to Italian outlet RMCMotori, Leclerc's management team already have one eye on potential other options if the Scuderia cannot regularly challenge for wins or podiums next season.

They claim that Leclerc's manager, Nicholas Todt - the son of former Ferrari team principal and FIA President, Jean - is 'moving to explore alternatives' and has already spoken to three teams in the paddock.

It is said that Todt met with McLaren team principal Andrea Stella at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

He is also said to have spoken with Aston Martin team principal Lawrence Stroll and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

The report does not make clear as to the nature of the conversations and whether any serious discussions have been held over a move for Leclerc.

Could Charles Leclerc leave Ferrari?

At the current moment, each of the three teams that are alleged to have spoken to Leclerc's management all have significantly different situations.

In Mercedes' case, they do not currently have a driver under contract for next season, with the team yet to agree new deals with either George Russell or Kimi Antonelli.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are under contract for 2026 at Aston Martin, who will unveil their first Adrian Newey-designed challenger ahead of the season.

Alonso has stated that he could retire at the end of 2026 if their car turns out to be a frontrunner, which would open up a vacant seat at the team.

At McLaren, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are locked in for 2027, making a potential move for Leclerc harder.

It would be an unprecedented move for Ferrari to allow Leclerc to leave the team before the end of his contract, particularly as he has been with the team for such a significant length of time.