Charles Leclerc is aiming to take two wins with Ferrari in his first season with the iconic team. The Monegasque driver will replace Kimi Raikkonen for next season with the Finn going in the other direction taking a race seat at Sauber.
Charles Leclerc impressed many in his rookie year with Sauber, quickly adapting his driving style to suit Formula One after dominating in F2 a season earlier. His results earned him recognition up and down the pitlane and most importantly of all with the late Ferrari boss, Sergio Marchionne
Speaking at Autosprint’s Caschi d’Oro, Leclerc said he was feeling confident despite the weight of expectations on him to perform immediately.
“Pressure? No, I do not feel it. Rather I feel the support and I must say that I am happy. My goal is obviously to do my best and respect the team’s expectations. I will have at my side a driver like Sebastian Vettel who will be an important help for me to grow and learn. He is a wonderful person, as well as a great driver, and I got to know him when I worked at the Maranello simulator and he thanked me for the work I did.”
“Going back to my goals. It is clear that racing for Ferrari I would like to win a couple of grands prix such as Monaco, my home race, and Monza. But I cannot imagine what it will be like to race in Italy as a Ferrari driver.”
Leclerc got his first taste of life at Ferrari as a full-time race driver for them after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, driving in the post-season tyre test at the Yas Marina Circuit. He described the opportunity as a ‘great honour’.
“How did I find it? Unbelievable. The car is fabulous to drive. It was a great honour as well as a great emotion.
“Obviously we are talking about a test, it does not make much sense to talk about performance in absolute terms, but the feeling was immediately exceptional.”
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