F1: Charles Leclerc contract not a priority for Ferrari, says Vasseur

Scuderia Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is not interested in discussing a new deal with Charles Leclerc at the moment. The Italian outfit is focusing on other areas ahead of the 2023 season, which gets underway on March 3 in Bahrain.

Leclerc is currently contracted to the Maranello team until the end of the 2024 season. The Monegasque driver last signed a deal in 2019, which was then deemed unprecedented, as it was unheard of from Ferrari to offer a driver a long-term five year deal.

The 25-year-old has impressed since arriving in Maranello, and has gone on to establish himself as a leader within the team. He was Max Verstappen's closest challenger in 2022, at least in the first half of the season, before the Dutch racer blew away the competition.

Ferrari has no intention of letting Leclerc leave, while the Monaco resident has also indicated that he wants to win with the Italian outfit. Vasseur, however, is not concerned about Leclerc's contract, with the Frenchman making it clear that Ferrari's immediate focus remains on performance.

The famous red team started 2022 as the early favourites, but were unable to sustain their dominance. Reliability issues and strategy mishaps saw their title challenge fade away. This saw Mattia Binotto resign from his position as team principal, making way for Vasseur.

The former Alfa Romeo team boss is keen to restore Ferrari back to winning ways in 2023. He said: "I don't want to put this topic on the table today. It wouldn't be a good way to start the collaboration. We have to be focused on the sporting side to get results," as quoted on GP Fans.

"But it's like a wedding - if both sides of the table are happy with the situation then we will continue," he added. "But it's not the priority. We have a good relationship, and we will have time to discuss about this."

Vasseur also addressed speculation that Leclerc will now become the team's number one driver. However, the Frenchman explained that he also rates Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz highly after revealing previous attempts to sign him.

"When I was at Renault, I started a discussion with him and his management to attract him, and when I was at Sauber I tried to sign him again, without success," Vasseur said.

"So I thought 'Okay, if I want to attract Carlos, the best way is to join the team where he is' [laughs]."