Aston Martin make ‘promise’ to sponsors as Charles Leclerc links swirl

According to Corriere Della Sera, Aston Martin have given their sponsors assurances that they will have at least one marquee driver in place for 2027, regardless of how things play out in 2026. One name already on their radar is Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Newey is tasked with overhauling the team to match Lawrence Stroll’s vision and justify the hefty investment poured into the Silverstone operation. Securing a high-profile driver is key to that plan, and Leclerc’s future at the Maranello outfit is anything but settled right now.

The Monegasque driver, who failed to win a Grand Prix in 2025 and finished fourth in the F1 constructors’ standings, sees 2026 as a make-or-break year for Ferrari. If the car is not competitive, it is widely expected that he will move on.

Leclerc outperformed teammate Lewis Hamilton by a significant margin – more than even he expected at the start of the year. Despite that, he finished fifth in the championship with just 242 points.

How the 2026 F1 rule changes could impact Leclerc’s Ferrari future and Aston Martin’s ambitions

Leclerc is keen to shut down rumours linking him to Aston Martin for 2027, but questions about his future have not gone away following a disappointing 2025 for Ferrari. The Scuderia were the only one of Formula One’s top four teams not to have won a race, with Leclerc securing their sole pole position.

The Monegasque driver claimed pole at the Hungarian Grand Prix, taking advantage of cooler Q3 conditions to edge out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.026 seconds. However, concerns over his skid plank led Ferrari to adjust their strategy during the race, causing him to slip from first place down to fourth.

The Maranello outfit will be hoping for a reset with new rules covering engines, chassis, aero, and tyres set to come into play. While there are options open for Leclerc if things do not turn around for Ferrari, one such option may be more likely now that Newey is in charge at Aston Martin.

If Leclerc does choose to leave Ferrari after 2026, Aston Martin will not be the only team interested. For instance, reports claim his manager has already reached out to Red Bull.