Charles Leclerc to be retained by Ferrari

Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has confirmed that Charles Leclerc will remain a part of the team's driver academy next year.

The Monegasque driver currently leads the GP3 standings, putting him on track to claim enough points to qualify for a Formula One Superlicence, although Ferrari customer Haas recently ruled out making a move to sign the youngster.

"Charles doesn't have any problems," said Arrivabene. "I recognise that he is a very talented guy and it is still for next year, the Ferrari driver academy.

"The one thing for a talented guy like Charles is to be calm and to do his job without burning out," he added.

Leclerc is one of four drivers currently in the Ferrari driver academy alongside fellow GP3 racers Antonio Fuoco and Giuliano Alesi, and European Formula Three driver Guan Yu Zhou.

The late Jules Bianchi was the academy's first member in 2009, while current Force India driver Sergio Perez became a member of the initiative shortly after signing for Sauber ahead of his F1 début.

GP2 driver Raffaele Marciello, Lamborghini factory driver Mirko Bortolotti, and recently crowned F3 champion Lance Stroll are other notable former members of the driver development scheme.