'I wish I had done it' - Leclerc reacts to bumper Ferrari contract rumours

Charles Leclerc has rejected rumours he has signed a new contract with Ferrari that is potentially worth up to €200 million.

The Monégasque penned a five-year deal with the Scuderia in 2019, locking him until the end of 2024 - during which time the team has suffered a rise and fall in its fortunes from fighting for wins last season to struggling for podiums this term.

Leclerc has been touted as a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes once the seven-time champion leaves the team, but he has insisted he remains committed to the Maranello-based outfit - although no talks over a new deal have taken place.

Leclerc's new Ferrari contract?

At the start of the summer break, Leclerc was rumoured to have signed a new bumper deal to tie him with Ferrari for the foreseeable future.

Pointing to the staggering sum of money involved in that speculation when asked by media including RacingNews365.com, Leclerc joked: "I wish I did this deal, it is a good deal!"

"But no, there are no new deals and no discussion whatsoever [over the summer] but at one point we’ll definitely have those discussions.

"My intentions are clear, on the team side I don’t know, but I’m not too worried either, it’s not the priority for now.

"We just want to try and work as much as possible on the car to get back to where we were last year which was to fight for wins and then we’ll see.

"At the end of the season, we’ll have those discussions."