Leclerc says it took “almost a year” to understand the team dynamics at Ferrari

Charles Leclerc admitted he didn’t quite understand the lay of the land at Ferrari when he joined Ferrari in 2019, and says it took him almost a year to figure out how things worked within the ‘Maranello team.

These comments may come as a surprise to some, as it seemed the Monegasque driver was in the know almost instantly at Scuderia, taking pole position in his second race of 2019 (Bahrain) and winning pole in Belgium and Italy.

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But on a recent episode of F1 Beyond the grid podcast, Leclerc explained why it took him so long to get used to the way things worked within the colossal team he joined from Sauber-Alfa Romeo.

“I was comfortable from the start,” he said. “I had a lot to learn, but I felt like I knew it right away – about social relationships. Then to feel comfortable with the way such a large team works? “Probably almost a year I will say.

“Almost a year to understand exactly the dynamics of the team, how you deal with problems, how you react to these problems. Yes, probably almost a year.

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“It’s long. Yes, yes, it’s very, very long but it’s very, very interesting,” he added. “Living it feels a lot shorter and you can feel all the steps and every time you learn something and apply it you have a better understanding of how everything works. Plus you feel more in control of the situation.”

Now in his third year with Ferrari, Leclerc is helping the team move the midfield back up and hopefully get back to the top, with two pole positions and a podium under his belt in 2021. He admitted he had matured considerably since joining the team as a new – faced Ferrari junior in 2019.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a driver, as a person,” he said.

“How much better? It’s hard to quantify, but I definitely feel a better driver than when I came in. How much detail we go into after every tough race but every good race we’ve had… but it made it things very interesting, it’s a sport where I’m always learning and I think everyone on this grid learns every time they get in the car, ”added Leclerc.

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Ferrari is at McLaren’s level as the summer break approaches, but the next stop is Leclerc’s favorite haunt – Belgium – where he scored a memorable and moving first victory in 2019.

Listen to the whole Beyond the grid podcast with Leclerc from Ferrari in the player above, on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts.