Charles Leclerc ‘talking to McLaren and Mercedes’ before new Ferrari deal

Martin Brundle insisted that Charles Leclerc would "obviously" have spoken to McLaren and Mercedes before signing a new contract with Ferrari.

A new Ferrari deal for Leclerc was announced ahead of this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, extending the Monegasque's long association with the Scuderia.

Leclerc is currently in his eighth season as a Ferrari driver, but he has enjoyed limited success during that time.

Only in 2022 did Leclerc briefly challenge for the drivers' title, while much of his time with Ferrari has been spent trying to help the team close the gap to the frontrunners.

When it comes to why he signed a new deal, Leclerc has repeatedly named Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur as a key reason behind the decision, something Brundle has noticed.

"Well, it's very interesting because he keeps mentioning Fred Vasseur," Brundle told Sky F1. "It's almost like a briefing; he wants to support Fred in the team principal role, and they're very close, and so is Lewis.

"They came through junior racing with Fred Vasseur, so yeah, it's just an enduring, relentless love affair with Ferrari — except for all the other teams that they contacted before they re-signed as well, just to see what the market was like, because that's your job in this business when you're in a front-running team. So let's be absolutely clear on that.

"But it's a great story, and he's comfortable there. It's been eight years now, but it hasn't really been that successful, has it? 

"He hasn't won since mid-2024, but he could win this weekend, and he is one of the best in the field. I think it's great for Ferrari and great for him."

While Leclerc has a childhood dream of becoming world champion with Ferrari, the driver did confirm he had other options on the table. 

Asked who Leclerc would have been speaking to, Brundle said: "It wouldn't be everybody. But obviously he'd be talking to McLaren and to Mercedes, at least."