Charles Leclerc has said that he “would never have imagined” his 2019 Formula 1 campaign to end the way it did, securing two wins and seven pole positions (four which were back to back) in his first year with the Scuderia Ferrari team.
The 22-year-old said he has great satisfaction from his performance this year, “I would never have imagined my first season with Ferrari like this. In terms of satisfaction, as a driver, it is great to have had the chance to end the year with a few poles and wins in the bag.”
“On the other hand, you also always strive for more, and there is always something that you can do better.
“Overall, I think that it was a positive season for me. I learned a lot and am thankful to the whole team for all of their support and hard work.
He went on to say that he found the last race of the season, at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, to be a challenge. He recognises that race pace will be something he and the team will need to work on heading into next season.
“It was not an easy race today. Starting from third, I knew that I would have to win to get back the third place in the Drivers’ Championship, so I gave it my all.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out today. We will have to spend some time working on our race pace this winter. We have been very strong in qualifying this year, but have room for improvement in our long-run performance.”
He concluded he was pleased to be able to finish the season on a high by getting on the podium.
“In any case, it’s nice to round off the season with a podium and have some time off now. I am sure that after just a few days, going back to racing will be all I can think about and I am already looking forward to being back in Melbourne.”
