Leclerc: I’m only focused on speed

At an event for sponsors from Bitdefender, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc spoke about pressure, mistakes and success…

Charles Leclerc: “It is a pity that the race in Imola had to be canceled, but the safety of participants and spectators is paramount. I think this decision is correct, even if for us it is a home race. We all saw what was happening there – the photographs described it very eloquently.

Road errors? My task is to drive as fast as possible. In the car and on the track, everything is done so that the riders do not think about the risk, so I only focus on speed, on how to attack at the limit. If at some point I think that racing is dangerous, I will immediately retire.

On the track, you only see the result, but there is a lot of work behind it that people often don’t understand. The main thing for us is trust: the machine, the engineers, the mechanics. Otherwise it can not be. When you’re speeding down the track at over 250 km/h, everything has to be perfect.

Of course I feel the pressure. In Formula 1 it is always there, especially if you are in favor of Ferrari. Here, even the slightest mistake is criticized. But I have always dreamed of racing in Formula 1 for Ferrari. And I am ready to take on this responsibility.

The secret to a good circle? It is a combination of work, preparation and risk. In qualifying, you have to feel the limits of the car, the tires and the track – and put it all together.”