Charles Leclerc admitted that, like everyone else in the paddock, he will miss Sebastian Vettel when the four-time world champion retires from Formula 1. However, in an interview with Austria’s Motorsport Magazin, many other topics came up as the Ferrari driver said he is willing to talk only about his own mistakes, and he discusses shortcomings in the team’s work only within the team.
Q: If you could start the season from scratch, what would you do differently?
Charles Leclerc: Honestly, I’m happy with how this season has gone. Of course I have to mention my mistakes in Imola and France, but when there are 22 races on the calendar, some mistakes are inevitable, especially if you are driving at the limit.
But from a professional point of view, this season has taught me a lot, although it may not be visible from the outside. I always work on all kinds of nuances, I try not to lose sight of the small things. It’s not necessarily about some shortcomings, but every Grand Prix teaches you something and I’m trying to be a better rider.
Q: When Sebastian Vettel was in a similar situation at Ferrari a few years ago, he said you have to take more risks because the car is not that competitive. And this leads to errors. Does the same happen to you?
Charles Leclerc: No, if I make mistakes, it doesn’t mean I tried to make up for some of the machine’s shortcomings. In Imola I just wanted to show a good result. Then he really made a mistake in France, but it could have happened at any other track.
I always try to fly close to the limit of what is possible, but the mistake made on Paul Ricard was serious. It wasn’t that big in Imola, but now nothing can be changed.
But it seems to me that there is more talk about it than necessary. Of course we are way behind on points, but this only means that we have to work better together with the team on Sunday.
Q: Do you think Ferrari gets too much criticism? Just look at social networks and you’ll see what swear words your team gets there…
Charles Leclerc: I don’t pay attention to it. I’m only talking about my own mistakes. I have no doubt that there is a lot of negativity out there, but in my opinion this shouldn’t matter as it doesn’t help the case. We have to concentrate on our work.
Question Don’t just criticize Ferrari, but also Mattia Binotto. Do you think this is unfair?
Charles Leclerc: Do not pay attention to external factors. When something goes wrong, people always start criticizing, and sometimes for no specific reason. Formula 1 is a very complex sport and it is difficult to understand if you only look at it from the side. That is why no one should throw us off balance.
In a team you have to be honest with each other and build everything on this. I’m always the first to admit my mistakes, but when it comes to the team’s mistakes, I won’t speak about it publicly. We will discuss them within the team – I have such an approach and I am sure we will gradually achieve improvements.
Q: Do you intervene in the work of the team when something goes wrong?
Charles Leclerc: No, but I always try to make the results better thanks to my contribution to the common cause. When communicating with the press I am as reserved as possible, but I try to make sure that my voice is always heard within the team, this is important. Ultimately, this is a team effort: the efforts of the Maranello base employees, the race crew on track and the drivers behind the wheel of the car all have to be in perfect harmony.
Q: It seems to be becoming a trend: at the beginning of the season you are ahead of your partner, then Carlos Sainz overtakes you. Does it go faster or do you lose speed?
Charles Leclerc: (laughs) I hope he drives faster! But I also always try to increase the speed. This year I immediately felt comfortable in the car. During the first winter test, together with my engineers, we did a great job preparing for the first race in the best possible way. I knew what I wanted to achieve with the car and it came very naturally.
That made it a bit easier for me at the beginning of the season, but then Carlos overtook me.
Q: Will you continue to communicate with Sebastian Vettel?
Charles Leclerc: Naturally. We don’t text each other every week, but when something important happens, we always text each other.
Q: Will you miss him when he retires?
Charles Leclerc: We will all miss him. Sebastian is a very pleasant and friendly person. Everyone in the paddock will miss him.
Q: Have you inherited any special abilities from him?
Charles Leclerc: He’s the hardest working man in the paddock, that’s for sure. When I moved from Alfa Romeo to Ferrari, I came to the base of the team in the morning and he got there an hour and a half before me.
When I first heard about this, I thought, “Why is he doing this? Why does he spend so much time on the team? But the more experience I got, the more we talked, the better I understood: there are many nuances that, unlike him, I simply did not pay attention.
And it paid off, so I learned a lot from him. Especially at that stage of my career, when I was very young, it was helpful for me to work with such an experienced professional as Sebastian.
Source: F1 News
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