Charles Leclerc is unfazed by criticism of his mistakes this season. Instead, the Ferrari driver wants to focus on maximizing his car’s speed.

It certainly wasn’t a thunderclap for Leclerc. Monaco – last year’s title winners – are seventh on 34 points after five races. In addition, he was largely spared the weekend in Baku, in which he finished second in the sprint race and third in the Grand Prix. Additionally, he struck out twice and finished seventh twice.

The season was defined by Leclerc mistakes

Fair is fair: Leclerc didn’t make it easy on himself. Besides the fact that Ferrari is nowhere near as competitive as it was in the first half of last year, Leclerc is often off the track. In Australia, Leclerc had already retired in the first round because he ended up on gravel. In Miami, Q3 qualifying was incomplete as Monegasque crashed his Ferrari into the wall. Yet Leclerc is unfazed by criticism of his driving behaviour.

“I am completely focused on speed and pushing the boundaries of the race car,” the Ferrari driver said at a team event. “Mistakes are normal. Of course there is pressure, especially if you are part of Ferrari. Even a small mistake can make people disappointed in you. But I know my responsibility.

“As a driver you can handle the pressure,” Leclerc continued. “It’s part of the job. It also means that things don’t always go the way people expect. I have to find out where the limits of the car and the tires are. Hard work and consistency are essential to success, but it’s unrealistic to assume that everything will always run smoothly.

The latest edition of Formula 1 magazine is back in stores, covering everything from the GP of Miami won by Max Verstappen. In this edition, of course, a lot of fascinating stories, interesting reports, backgrounds and interviews. Among others:

• Max Verstappen: Bad in Baku, Great in Miami
• Report: Ernest Noors ’85 brings Arrows to life
• Interview: Pierre Hamelin: The prompter of Nyck de Vries
• Report: How Haas piggybacks on American F1 madness
• Columns by Renger van der Sande & Amber Brandsen
• Collection: Peter van Egmond’s most beautiful pictures

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