“I said that right away”– Battle with Max Verstappen in Austria GP 2019 changed Charles Leclerc

“I said that right away”– Charles Leclerc that his driving approach changed after the dramatic battle against Max Verstappen in Austria.

In 2019, Charles Leclerc lost the battle against Max Verstappen in Austria like a warrior. Almost two years after that race, he thinks that the incident has changed his driving style.

He admits that he is a more aggressive driver with not quitting away from a fight, while also admitting g that F1 losing a few restrictions back then was good for the sport.

“Yes,” Leclerc stated when asked if the incident changed his driving style. “In part because the steward’s approach changed after that weekend, and we were allowed to go past the limits that had been set up to that point.

“I think it was good for our sport and I said that right away after the race despite being disappointed with the result. I always thought that if they allowed us to race with fewer constraints then we would be able to offer more spectacular races,” he added.

“But we needed a uniform method of evaluating things, which is what happened. Since then we know that we can push more when it comes to head-to-head battles without the fear of running into penalties, and I’ve adapted well to this situation.”

There are things to improve

Leclerc has now entered into the third year as a Ferrari driver and is viewed as a crucial part of the changing Ferrari vision. He has obviously matured with experience, but he thinks that there is a list of things that shall be improved.

“I have a list of things I want to improve on every year, “Leclerc added. “When it comes to tyre management, that’s something that remains ongoing. I think I’ve improved but I know there is still work to be done.

“It’s complicated and every time I sit in the car there is always something new to learn, whether it’s how to manage them on fast laps or in terms of race pace.”

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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