Charles Leclerc at Mercedes, “bullshit” according to Vasseur

Although the 2023 Formula 1 season has only started four races ago, the driver transfer market is already starting to make headlines. And this could involve Ferrari driver Leclerc and the seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

While it is expected that Hamilton will sign a new contract with Mercedes, the fact that the confirmation has not yet arrived has led to speculation that Hamilton and Mercedes will not agree on a new contract. Especially since, at the moment, the W14 does not offer Lewis Hamilton the opportunity to compete for victories, let alone an eighth title.

And even if Hamilton commits with Mercedes beyond the 2023 season, it has been reported that when Hamilton eventually retires, Leclerc will be at the top of the list of replacements for Mercedes. Leclerc’s contract with Ferrari will expire after the 2024 season. Before that, an exchange between the two teams seems impossible.

But Leclerc rejected the rumors in the paddock suggesting that he had discussions with Mercedes, emphasizing that he hasn’t, or “not yet” at least.

Vasseur, meanwhile, also stated that all the rumors were unfounded.

« The rumors about Charles and Mercedes are nonsense,” Vasseur declared, according to the English media Mirror.

Charles said that he loved Ferrari and wanted to win with Ferrari. We are at the beginning of the season, where there are many rumors that we will hear every weekend, but we are not worried.

No interest for Leclerc to join Mercedes now

A few years ago, a seat at Mercedes was the best possible position for a driver aspiring to become Formula 1 world champion.

Unfortunately, F1 2023 marks the second consecutive season where Mercedes struggles to reach the top, and currently, we can’t really say that Mercedes is a better bet than Ferrari for Leclerc to win his first world title.

The resurgence of performance in Azerbaijan means that Ferrari and Mercedes are in a fairly similar position in the battle for the second force on the field, behind the leader Red Bull.

That being said, even if Mercedes doesn’t appear to be a better team than Ferrari at the moment, Leclerc should closely monitor what Mercedes will do when the new W14 arrives. The team boss, Toto Wolff, promises a “configuration” change for the race at Imola.

It is a team that has already climbed the ranks in the past, and if this change in approach shows signs of redemption at Mercedes.