Formula 1: Charles Leclerc tipped to replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari in 2019
By Asher Fair
Ferrari’s plan to replace 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen with Charles Leclerc in the 2019 Formula 1 season is reportedly back on.
The situation involving Charles Leclerc potentially replacing 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen at Scuderia Ferrari in the 2019 Formula 1 season has reportedly taken yet another turn, which has become extremely common over the last few months.
The plan to replace the 38-year-old Finn with the 20-year-old Monegasque is now reportedly back on, as Ferrari chairman John Elkann met with Leclerc over the weekend of the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s home race, and discussions about the matter seemingly advanced.
It was former Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne who implemented this plan before his sudden passing in July, and a lot of signs point to the idea that the Scuderia have elected to honor it.
Marchionne was a huge fan of Leclerc and wanted the Ferrari junior driver to be promoted to drive for the factory team alongside four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel, who signed a contract last summer to remain with the team through at least the 2020 season, as soon as possible.
More from Formula One
- Formula 1: Top Red Bull threat identified for 2024
- Formula 1: Why the Max Verstappen retirement obsession?
- Formula 1: Williams ‘mistake’ hints Logan Sargeant’s future
- Formula 1 awaiting key confirmation for 2024 season
- Formula 1: The ‘championship’ Max Verstappen only leads by 3 points
It was reported in June that the Maranello-based team were ready to replace Raikkonen with the Alfa Romeo Sauber rookie starting next year, and it was reported roughly one week later that Leclerc and Ferrari had agreed to a contract that the 2016 GP3 Series and 2017 Formula 2 champion had not yet signed.
However, a few weeks ago following Marchionne’s passing, it was revealed that Ferrari and Raikkonen, who is in his eighth overall season and fifth consecutive season driving for the team, had reached an agreement, which was not officially announced, on a two-year contract extension.
This contract extension would end a streak of three consecutive seasons during which Raikkonen, who has not won a race since returning to Ferrari in the 2014 season, has driven for the team on one-year contracts.
In fact, Leclerc was even tipped to replace Romain Grosjean at Haas after this news was reported, as even if he doesn’t get promoted to Ferrari, it is highly unlikely that he will continue driving for the backmarker team of Sauber given his level of talent. With Haas, a competitive mid-pack team, being the other Ferrari-powered team in Formula 1 aside of Ferrari and Sauber, the move made perfect sense.
But following the latest turn of events in this situation, it appears as though Leclerc could be driving for Ferrari in the 2019 season after all.
In his rookie Formula 1 season, Leclerc has racked up five top 10 finishes, including a career-high sixth place finish in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The five top 10 finishes that he has racked up so far this year came during a six-race span.
Leclerc has scored 13 points through the season’s first 14 races, and he sits in 15th place in the driver standings as a result of it. He has had arguably the best season by any Sauber driver over the past several seasons.
Next. Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time. dark
Will Charles Leclerc replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari in the 2019 Formula 1 season? When will the Italian team announce who Sebastian Vettel’s teammate for next year will be? With nothing having been confirmed at this point, the answers to these questions truly are anybody’s guesses, especially given how many turns this situation has taken in recent months.