They crossed the T’s and dotted the I’s and Lewis Hamilton finally penned down his Mercedes contract extension. A joyous occasion for the entire the entire Mercedes team and all of Hamilton’s fans. However, for one section of the grid, in red, this extension came as a bit of a disappointment. This section of fans are hoping for a bit of turnaround in their F1 story and the possible inclusion of a seven-time champion could’ve been key. Although as we all know, for Hamilton Ferrari was never an option as he always wanted to extend with Mercedes. Despite all the facts, the rumors did give some hope to the fans and cast doubt on the future of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Both Ferrari men are contracted to drive for the Maranello outfit till the end of the 2024 season. However, a possible coup of Hamilton could’ve changed the fate of either. Many rumors suggested a swap deal between Mercedes and Ferrari involving Leclerc, as he is seen to be a perfect replacement for the Brit. Whereas many assumed Sainz would be let go.

However, all these expectations have been quashed as the reality is Hamilton is staying with Mercedes. Many Ferrari fans aren’t thrilled about this reality including F1 expert Jolyon Palmer, a feeling he expressed on the F1: Chequered Flag podcast.

Palmer said, “Yeah, it’s probably the only decision really for Lewis Hamilton in the end. I got really excited about all those Ferrari rumors here and there, I’ll confess. I remember chatting with you guys on the podcast, trying to work out the logic for Hamilton going for the only last hurrah at Ferrari, Leclerc switching to Mercedes. To be honest I just thought it would be fun. But the brain says that Hamilton’s sticking with Mercedes. It’s his best chance of winning another championship. In the end, it’s no real surprise it has happened.”

Things at Ferrari and Mercedes will remain as they were. In fact, they might stay the same for a long time even at Ferrari with Leclerc in question. Or that’s what the rumors said but Leclerc refuted any claims.

Read More: Lewis Hamilton Finally Breaks Silence on Ferrari Transfer Rumors Amid Mercedes Horror Show

After Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc could be on his way to signing a multi-million dollar contract. Or is he?

After it was widely reported Hamilton had agreed to extend with Mercedes, Ferrari focused their energy on extending Leclerc’s contract. The Monegasque will be out of contact by the end of the 2024 season but Ferrari doesn’t want to wait that long. Rumors started circling the paddocks that Ferrari was set to offer Leclerc a mega $200 million+ offer which would keep him at Ferrari for the next seven years. However, Leclerc quickly quashed all such rumors and revealed the truth.

He told the media, “I wish I did this deal because it looked like I did a good deal! But no, there are no new deals and no discussions whatsoever. But at one point, we’ll definitely have those discussions.” 

In fact, Leclerc is focused on the present at the moment and is focused on improving the state of the car. He even revealed a long-term contract extension seems difficult at the moment.

Who knows if Ferrari’s form keeps deteriorating, the Monegasque might end up leaving Ferrari after all.

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