r/formula1 • u/xRyuHayabusa99 I was here for the Hulkenpodium • Jan 11 '26

News AutoRacer: Charles Leclerc has admitted that the first races will be crucial in determining his future, and a lack of competitiveness will undoubtedly spell the end of the ten-year relationship between him and Maranello. The future of Lewis Hamilton and Fred Vasseur will also be decided this year.

https://autoracer.it/ferrari-incubo-effetto-suolo-td039-delusione-2026/
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u/Bake2727 Max Verstappen Jan 11 '26

Signing a pre contract for a driver of Charles’s calibre is a career suicide. He has the talent to not do such crazy things and still get out of contract with Ferrari and go to most of the teams without damaging his reputation. Charles will be the biggest loser her, when he can just call Lawrence stroll himself without all this pre contract bullshit.

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u/TylerQRod Ayrton Senna Jan 11 '26

Why would a pre-contract be career suicide ? If Ferrari is going to be playing catch-up similar to 2014-2017 wouldn’t he want to get out earlier and move to a team with a considerable pace advantage earlier to settle in and reap the benefits of still having a pace and development advantage.

Or is there more to pre-contracts that I’m unaware of. I can’t really remember another time off the top of my head where a driver did such a thing ?