(Motorsport) Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has been linked with a move to Mercedes in recent months but has denied such claims, saying that there is no agreement “yet” and he is “fully focused” on Ferrari “for now” while Silver Arrows team principal Toto Wolff has said that the Monegasque driver is on their “radar”. With Hamilton in the twilight of his career and yet to extend his contract with Mercedes (which will expire at the end of the ongoing season), Leclerc could prove to be a good candidate to replace the driver and form a long term partnership with George Russell.

However, it’s extremely unlikely that Hamilton will leave or retire at the end of the ongoing season, but Leclerc could be a prospect for Mercedes in the future. Ferrari have failed Leclerc more than the other way round and the Monegasque driver hasn’t been given the opportunity to mount a serious title challenge for a variety of reasons. From poor strategy to reliability failures, no driver has failed to win from a stronger position than Leclerc in recent seasons. He could also prove to be a viable alternative to Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin as the Spaniard will be turning 42 in July and the team have a competitive car.

Ferrari and Leclerc have had a difficult start to the 2023 season which included two retirements and resulted in the Monegasque driver languishing in seventh place in the drivers standings. Expectations will be high from the 25 year old as Ferrari return to their home turf at Imola in the upcoming weekend after which Leclerc will race in front of his home fans in Monaco. From a personal and team standpoint, Leclerc will undoubtedly want to at least get podium finishes from both these races but with Aston Martin’s pace and Mercedes’ new upgrades, even a third place finish is looking increasingly unlikely. 

Also read: Formula 1: What are the upgrades Mercedes could implement for Imola?