After a difficult start to his maiden season in F1, a fundamental change to his set-up approach has improved Charles Leclerc's performance with Sauber.
The reigning F2 champion delivered to the Swiss outfit its best result since 2015 on the back of an impeccable run - slightly helped by circumstances - in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Leclerc's speed in qualifying, in which he made the Q2 cut, was particularly notable and an indication of a breakthrough in his driving after a troublesome start to his F1 career during which he struggled to come to grips with his Sauber C37.
The rookie admitted that his driving style that had prevailed so successfully in GP3 and F2 required a change to master the demands of a Grand Prix machine.
"GP3 and Formula 2 cars you drive with a lot of oversteer and this is the way to go fast," said Leclerc.
"I did not expect to go quicker when going towards an understeer set-up in F1, but this seems the way these cars work.
"I just need to get on with it."
Leclerc's difficulties and mistakes had put him at a deficit to team mate Marcus Ericsson before Baku, but the Monegasque's change of approach saw him comfortably outpace the Swede last weekend.
"I improved a lot because of the approach we had with the set-up," he said.
"We went to a more understeering car for me. My car was way too unpredictable and was very difficult to put everything together."
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