Charles Leclerc says he’s “not yet” in talks with Mercedes

Rumours have emerged from Italy that Charles Leclerc could make a stunning move from Ferrari to Mercedes should Lewis Hamilton depart, and ahead of the Azerbaijan GP the Monegasque driver has only partly denied it. Woah.

When asked in Baku if he’d held talks with the Silver Arrows at any stage, Leclerc replied “no” before adding the caveat “not yet”.

The 25-year-old’s five-year deal with Ferrari runs out at the end of 2024, and his time with the team has been peppered with strategy errors and poor reliability.

Last season he led the drivers’ championship comfortably after the opening three races, but his challenge quickly unravelled as Red Bull and Max Verstappen established themselves as the dominant forces in F1.

And this year Ferrari has been well off the pace, having been leapfrogged over the winter by Aston Martin.

Leclerc later added that he remained “fully committed to Ferrari” and that he’d had “zero” contact with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, but you can see why he’d want to keep his options open for the future.

Meanwhile, both Wolff and Hamilton have repeatedly said they want to continue together beyond the end of this season, when the seven-time champion’s two-year deal expires.

Hamilton was asked directly if the Leclerc rumours had any bearing on his own negotiations, and he replied: “No, not really. I think maybe some of the drivers will speak or have relationships with different bosses and stuff.

“No, I like where I am, I love my team and I think I'm grateful for the journey we've been on and what we’re working on moving forward so… doesn't have any impact, no.”