100% Pay Raise Won’t Tempt Leclerc to Leave Ferrari F1: “Money Is Important, but…”

Top teams such as Mercedes and Ferrari pay a huge paycheck to their drivers for performing and getting results on the track. However, for some, such as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, a project is more important than the money they gets. The Monegasque backed this by stating that he would never leave the Italian team for a pay raise.

The 23-year-old is one of the highest-paid drivers on the Formula One grid, accompanied by the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo. He is an impressive talent that any team would like to have, but he has pledged his alliance to the Scuderia.

In the first race of the 2021 season, Leclerc came home sixth and brought home eight points for the Maranello-based outfit. He hopes to have an even better result in Ferrari‘s home Grand Prix.

Money won’t separate Charles Leclerc from Ferrari

In an interview with Il Giornale, as quoted by Motorsport.com, Leclerc commented, “No. Because Ferrari is special. Money is important, but I believe in the project and I want to go all the way with the team I dreamed of as a child.”

“I want to try and when I have something in mind I want to go through with it. There are no offers that hold: I feel great here and I want to reach the goal I have set myself and I will not leave until I have achieved it,” Leclerc concluded.

Leclerc hopes to make Ferrari proud at home race

The 2020 season is something people at Ferrari would like to forget. However, they had a good start to the new season and currently sit in fourth place in the constructors’ standings with 12 points. The number 16 driver is looking forward to the race at Imola and believes that the car has the pace.

Leclerc said, “It’s been a good race overall. We were lacking a little bit of pace in general compared to Lando but otherwise, it’s been quite a good race, and especially a good progress compared to last year, which is what I want to keep in mind for this race.

“It’s only a sixth place, but compared to last year, it’s a good result, so I’m really looking forward to the next races now,” he concluded.

Now, as we wait for the second race of the season, the red team will look to make the Tifosi proud by trying to win at Imola. With Sainz and Leclerc behind the wheel, they are optimistic about the upcoming weekend.

Also Read: ‘This Is Why I Admire Him a Lot’ – Sainz on What Makes Ferrari’s Leclerc Special