Runaway championship leader Charles Leclerc says he no longer has to “overdo things” in Formula 1 due to the strength of Ferrari’s F1-75.
Leclerc has taken two poles, two wins – along with a runner-up spot – and all three fastest laps in Formula 1 this season, as well as leading 143 of the 165 racing laps.
His commanding victory in Australia, combined with his rivals faltering through reliability setbacks of errors, means he holds a 34-point advantage over Mercedes’ George Russell.
It is the first time in his Formula 1 career that Leclerc has been equipped with such competitive machinery.
He had an occasional race-winning package in his first year with Ferrari in 2019, having been a midfielder with Sauber in 2018, before the manufacturer endured a competitive slump across 2020/2021.
Leclerc says the compliancy and speed of Ferrari’s car means he no longer has to take such extreme risks in order to achieve the maximum possible result.
“Obviously, I’ve been in this situation in the junior categories but then to be in this situation in Formula 1 means a lot, and especially after the last few years, and especially with a team like Ferrari,” he said.
“Obviously, the mindset is a bit different compared to the last two years because now I know that underneath me I’ve got a car that is capable of winning.
“I don’t really have to overdo things or to do something extremely special and spectacular to actually get one or two positions because I know that it’s in the car and I just have to do the job.”
Leclerc expressed confidence that Ferrari can maintain its current trajectory and avoid being reeled in by its nearest opponents.
“To keep up with Red Bull in terms of development is going to be difficult, but it’s the same team that did this car, that will work on the development for this year’s car, so I am confident,” he said.
“There is no reason for us to be on the backfoot because the guys at Maranello have done a great job, building up this car for this year.
“There are some developments coming and I’m confident that it will go in the right direction.
“Since the last two years, I really see a jump in the way we’ve analysed every weekend in the way we have identified also our weaknesses and how quick we were to react to try and get better in the places where we were struggling.”
