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“I learned more from my own experiences”- Charles Leclerc explains why he does not see Lewis Hamilton as an inspiration

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"I learned more from my own experiences"- Charles Leclerc explains why he does not see Lewis Hamilton as an inspiration

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc insists that he does not take other drivers’ battles as examples to improve his own driving style. 

Leclerc finds himself in the midst of a potentially intriguing Title battle in 2022. The Monegasque made his F1 debut in 2018, but this is the first time he can pose threat to others aiming for the Championship.

This year, Ferrari and Red Bull have the best car on the grid so far. So, it looks like his Title rival will be none other than 2021 World Champion Max Verstappen. The two had a rocky relationship back in their junior days, but so far they’re both adamant that things are fine.

We’ve seen just two races so far this season and the Leclerc-Verstappen battles have left everyone wanting more. They’ve raced brilliantly, hard, but fair. In a recent interview, Leclerc was asked if he was taking pointers from Lewis Hamilton’s epic battle with Verstappen last year.

The 24-year old replied by saying that he does not take pointers from other drivers. He insists that his style is completely different and that he’ll use his own experience to tackle his Dutch rival.

Also read: McLaren boss believes it is important for the team to switch frustration into energy to strike back

Charles Leclerc has enough experience to tackle an intense Championship battle

Leclerc made his full time debut in the sport with Sauber in 2018. In his first ever campaign, he turned a lot of heads in the paddock and was already linked to a dream move to Ferrari, midway that year.

The following season, he did join Ferrari and to everyone’s surprise, outperformed four-time World Champion teammate Sebastian Vettel. His first two race victories came at Spa and Monza that year.

2020 was a dismal year for the Scuderia as they finished an astonishing sixth. In 2021, they made amends, climbing up to third and looking like a big threat once again.

Fast forward to this year and Ferrari are back at the top. Their car seems like the fastest alongside Red Bull, and Leclerc will be pushing hard to become the first Ferrari champion since 2007.

“I think I learned more from my own experiences,” he said.  “Every driver has their own driving style, I have my own one.”

Also read: Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer opens about his Aston Martin departure

    About the author

    Somin Bhattacharjee

    Somin Bhattacharjee

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    Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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