Charles Leclerc reflects on Ferrari learning, says 'took me a year to grasp team dynamics'

Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc made a surprising revelation that it took him a year to understand the dynamics of the Italian outfit. The comments are astonishing as the Monegasque driver grabbed a pole position in just his second race for Ferrari in 2019 at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He followed up that impressive performance with two victories in Belgium and Italy from pole position.

Charles Leclerc took year to understand Ferrari F1 team dynamics

In a recent episode of F1's Beyond the Grid podcast, Charles Leclerc explained why it took him so long to understand the team dynamics of Ferrari F1. "I was comfortable from the beginning. I had a lot of things to learn, but it felt like I'd known them straight away – on the social relationships. Then to feel comfortable in the way such a big team works? Probably nearly a year, I will say. Nearly a year to understand exactly the dynamics of the team, how you face issues, how you react to those problems. Yes, probably almost a year."

While Leclerc acknowledged it took him a long time to get used to Ferrari F1, he said the process of learning was very interesting. "It is a long time. Yes, yes, it is a very, very long time but it’s very, very interesting. To live it feels a lot shorter, and you can feel all the steps, and every time you are learning something, and you apply it you are just getting a better understanding of how everything works. Also, you feel more in control of the situation," added Leclerc.

Charles Leclerc feels he has matured at Ferrari F1

Charles Leclerc explained that F1 is a sport that requires drivers to constantly learn, and Ferrari F1 has helped him achieve just that. "I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a driver, as a person. How much better? It’s difficult to quantify, but I definitely feel a better driver compared to when I first arrived. Just how much detail we are going into after every difficult race, but every good race we’ve had… but it’s made it very interesting; it’s a sport where I am always learning and I think everyone on this grid is learning every time they get into the car," concluded Leclerc.

Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Ferrari F1 sit level on points with McLaren F1 (163). Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc currently sits seventh in the Drivers' Championship standings with 80 points, three points off teammate Carlos Sainz. The Belgian GP will take place from August 27 to 29.