Charles Leclerc uses dissatisfaction to push himself amid deeply self-critical approach. Charles Leclerc reveals how constant dissatisfaction drives him to improve.

Two distinctive personalities

With Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Ferrari has chosen a pairing of experienced, fast drivers who are both in the prime of their competitive careers. They are also two very particular characters, each dealing with defeats and mistakes in a deeply self-critical manner.

The most recent example comes from Lewis Hamilton, who described himself as “useless” during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend and even went so far as to suggest that Ferrari should “change driver.” This is a behaviour seen before from the British champion, who often needs to hit rock bottom before climbing back up.

It must also be acknowledged that in his seven and a half years at Maranello, Charles Leclerc has shown a rather “Latin” approach in his public statements: always ready to admit his own mistakes and highlight them publicly, often through heated team radio messages in which he instinctively comments on on-track events and even on the team’s strategies. Team principal Frederic Vasseur, as both drivers have explained, serves as the balance point within Ferrari — ensuring the team does not get carried away in positive moments and does not sink too low during the negative ones.

Leclerc the self-critic

Charles Leclerc admitted to Autosprint that he is never fully satisfied with himself, even after victories. He explained that in the past, this feeling was not channelled in a productive way, but as he has matured, he has learned to use his dissatisfaction to improve. He acknowledged that at times he may seem too hard on himself, but insisted that it is his way of constantly demanding more and never settling.

In October, Charles Leclerc will reach the age of 28, yet he has a very clear view of the progress he still needs to make. He admitted that there is still much work to be done and that he is constantly working on himself. Looking back at his early years in Formula 1, he recognised that he had areas requiring improvement, such as tyre management. Over time, he has worked hard on numerous aspects of his craft and now considers himself a much better driver.

Today, he explained, his work has evolved and is now focused increasingly on fine details. His goal remains to become the most complete driver possible — both for his own personal development and for the benefit of the Ferrari team.