Charles Leclerc impressed in many races during his first season with Ferrari (Image credit: Getty)
Charles Leclerc is one of the biggest stars in F1 after only one season with Ferrari.
The 22-year-old Monegasque first drove for Alfa Romeo Sauber before making the big jump to Ferrari last year.
Things didn’t always go well for him as he came close to winning a couple of races before his car gave up.
The second half of the season went better for Leclerc as he picked up a couple of victories, but there were some inconsistent performances too.
One of the biggest talking points was his crash with Sebastian Vettel in Brazil, and he has had issues with the four-time F1 champion.
That was touched upon during his interview with Autosport Podcast but he was also asked about his pre-race ritual.
Most racers stay away from the grid while the photographers and dignitaries are seen around the cars at the starting grid.
However, Leclerc is always by his car and the 22-year-old explained why he is there all the time:
“I just like to be next to my car, see what everything is going on and not being surprised if anything has gone wrong in the meantime I was in the garage or something like this.”
The Ferrari racer added that he was always looking forward to seeing the car, irrespective of the photographers at the start-finish line:
“Whenever I can see the car, I am happy to see it and be next to it and that’s where I feel best, so I just stay there.”
Leclerc was asked about the cameras being at his face and possibly distracting him, but the Monegasque driver claimed that he is used to it now and isn’t fazed by it:
“The first time it can be a little bit of a surprise but then I just got used to it because at the end, that’s the place where I want to stay, so I need to get used to the photographs and the media being next to me.”
More Formula One news and features
What are the changes expected in the 2020 F1 car after the 2019 season?
McLaren racer Carlos Sainz takes three fans go-karting on special day
What is DRS in F1? Drag Reduction System definition in simple terms
Leclerc will have to be used to this for a lot longer as he has a bright future in F1. The 22-year-old finished fourth in his debut season with Ferrari, but he will be aiming for much better in the coming years.
Follow our dedicated Formula One page for instant Formula One news and updates
