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“There are Reasons Why They are That Way”- Charles Leclerc Opens Up on His Ferrari Journey

Published 09/13/2020, 4:30 PM EDT

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via Reuters

Ferrari’s operational woes have been seeping into their drivers’ performances throughout this season, and the aftermath of the same is painstakingly obvious. Sebastian Vettel has left a crater in his fans’ minds following a chain of disappointing outings. However, Charles Leclerc has managed to thrive throughout this ordeal, hinting at a bright future for the Prancing Stallion.

Leclerc, in his first season with Sauber in 2018, managed to bag points on 10 different occasions. The young Monegasque attracted the attention of the scarlet side and prompting the Formula 1 behemoths to sign him in 2019 alongside Vettel.

Charles Leclerc considers Ferrari his family

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Since arriving at Ferrari, Leclerc was overwhelmed and unsurprisingly so. The thought of competing with a 4-time World Champion breathing down your neck will seem daunting to even the most talented drivers.

It had been his dream to race for the historic Italian automobile giants. During his early days at Ferrari, Leclerc maintained an arm’s distance to ensure that he didn’t interfere with the proceedings.

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He kept his head down and did what he was asked to do. His strategy was to understand the manner in which the team functions. After having adjusted to the general manner of proceedings, Leclerc started voicing his opinions and proposed his preferences.

He believed that developing the virtue of being patient has helped him climb the ladder over the course of these years. However, his younger days express a different story altogether.

WATCH: Charles Leclerc Hugs Pierre Gasly After his Maiden Win in Monza

“When I arrived in Ferrari, I was quite intimidated by how big the team was, how historical the team was; It was a dream for me, so I didn’t want to arrive and say OK, I prefer to do it like this. I know they have a lot of experience so there are reasons why they are working that way.

“So I try first to adapt myself to the car, and the way of work and after give or six races, I started to then ask more from my preferences, to feel better in a few situations, and help them to change a few things,” admitted the young prodigy.

via Reuters

Leclerc on Ferrari’s performance in 2020

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On Ferrari’s recent modifications, Leclerc expressed his views and cleared the air. He said,“I definitely felt a lot better in the team, and more as part of the family, [by the end of the year].

“Whenever you arrive at the track, you know everyone. This feels different, you know how they are working. At the beginning of year, I had new engineers, a lot of things then we changed throughout the year and at the end of the year I happy with the balance we had and how we worked together.”

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On being asked what advice would he give to his younger self, he replied, “Be more patient. This is key and that is the biggest step I have done in my career, being more patient.”

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Written by:

Indrasish Ganguly

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Indrasish Ganguly is an F1 author at Essentially Sports. An avid fan of the F1 championship, the Kolkata based writer admires Lewis Hamilton the most on the F1 grid. His interest in racing stems from his love for cars and speed.
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