Ferrari handed Charles Leclerc a new deal just after his first season with the Italian giants

Charles Leclerc might not have finished as high as he would have expected in his first season with Ferrari, but it wasn’t all bad.

The 22-year-old won a couple of races and finished fourth in the championship.

He should have gotten a few more race wins but poor management by Ferrari and some mistakes ensured that didn’t happen.

Nevertheless, it was a decent debut season with the F1 giants and Ferrari handed Leclerc a new deal in December 2019.

The Monegasque is now contracted with Ferrari till 2024, but he isn’t guaranteeing success with them.

Ferrari were behind Mercedes for most of the 2019 season and Leclerc told NextGen-Auto that the project is a long-term one:

“It’s obviously great to know that I’ll be driving for Ferrari for five more years. It’s great, it obviously gives me confidence. This does not mean that races do not count, we will have to work very hard.

“I don’t think that gives us a certainty about the results but one thing is certain, it is a long-term project and I think it is interesting for me and for the team to work on a such a long contract, and to build a solid relationship that we hope will bring many successes.”

Ferrari ready for 2020

The 22-year-old certainly had some great battles last year. Max Verstappen vs Leclerc is a fight most F1 fans would love to see often.

Challenging Mercedes has to be the main target for Ferrari in 2020. They recently shared the new SF1000 ahead of the new season, and the car does look great.

Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel made the right noises at the car launch. However, the real proof will be in pre-season testing and when the teams race in Australia.

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