Hypothesis emerged in current weeks that Leclerc was in talks with Mercedes because it ponders a attainable alternative if Lewis Hamilton doesn’t keep in to subsequent 12 months.
However Leclerc himself denied there had been any contact with Mercedes nor its boss Wolff – though he intriguingly added the phrase ‘but’ on the finish of his sentence.
Talking on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Wolff himself additionally rubbished options that dialogue had opened between the staff and the Monegasque driver.
Nonetheless, he stated it will be silly of the squad to disregard Leclerc as an choice for the long run.
“Charles is a brilliant man and, for the long-term future, somebody that you must all the time have in your radar. And that is clear. However not for the brief and the medium time period.”
Wolff defined that the one time he had personally spoken to Leclerc not too long ago was once they bumped in to one another at Melbourne airport on their return from the Australian Grand Prix.
Leclerc’s present deal at Ferrari runs till the tip of the 2024 season, with present Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton out of contract on the finish of this 12 months.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14, Sergio Perez, Crimson Bull Racing RB19
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“I feel no one doubts Charles’ capacity. He is an efficient man,” added Wolff.
“The one time I talked with him was once we mentioned the place the gate is in Melbourne once we boarded the airplane. No contact in any other case.
“I feel he is 100% dedicated and dependable to Ferrari along with his contract. And in the identical means we’re 100% dedicated to placing pen to paper with Lewis.”
Mercedes and Hamilton have but to sit down down and type a contract extension, with their focus in current weeks having been in attempting to handle the issues the staff is going through with its W14.
However though Mercedes has fallen in need of the title ambitions that Hamilton needs, Wolff thinks the staff nonetheless affords sufficient to maintain the seven-time champion all in favour of staying.
“I feel he feels very a lot that he is sturdy, and we really feel the identical,” he stated.
“We’re not going to race for a drivers’ championship this 12 months. That’s what it appears like in the intervening time. And we simply want to offer him a automobile that may do this.
“Hopefully we will get our package deal to a successful package deal this season after which have one thing that may deliver him his eighth title.
“I’ve little question that he is motivated to attain that. So that is what he likes to do. That’s his capacity. Now we have a fantastic relationship, personally myself with him and inside the staff. It is one of many sturdy pillars within the final 10 years. So we’re in a extremely good place.”