SPIELBERG: Sauber team chief Frederic Vasseur on Friday dismissed reports suggesting that his highly-rated young Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc was poised to join Ferrari.
He said there had been no discussions with the Italian team about any deal including a swap that would take veteran Finn Kimi Raikkonen back to Sauber, the team with which he made his F1 debut.
Many well-informed paddock observers had suggested in the build-up to this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix that a deal taking Leclerc to Ferrari was already agreed, but not yet signed.
But Vasseur said: "We have a contract until the end of the season and we didn't speak so far about the future. I can understand we have some rumours in the press, but it's nothing to do with the reality.
"We are focused on our job, Charles is focused on the Sauber project and the future will be discussed later on..."
He rejected talk of a switch in time for the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of August and said there had been no Ferrari approach for Leclerc, 20.
"It did not come on the table, so far," he said.
Leclerc, much praised by his rivals, has scored points in four of his last five races for Sauber.