Leclerc well prepared by Ferrari for life in the fast lane

Charles Leclerc says his formative years with the Ferrari Driver Academy brought him the education and preparation he needs to cope with a career at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Rising from the ranks of competitive karting, Leclerc was taken on and fostered by the Scuderia’s young driver programme as a teenager, graduating from one junior category to the other and establishing himself as a consistent winner.

The end-result has been an entry into the big time with Sauber and a high-profile promotion to Ferrari for 2019 where he’ll be racing alongside four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

"Growing up in the academy helped me be ready," Leclerc told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Since I was 11 I have been working on the mental side with a coach just to handle the pressure. The mental side is now one of my strengths, when before it was one of my biggest weaknesses.

"Now we will see the fruits," he added.

• Leclerc's mental strength built on grief and personal loss

Leclerc’s confidence has grown this season on the back of his impressive performances with Sauber, to the point where he believes that he’ll challenge Vettel for top honours at the Scuderia in 2019.

The Monegasque insists however that one should not interpret his burning ambition as arrogance.

"I want to clarify some newspaper headlines that I did not like," he said.

"They didn't understand the spirit of my statement and called me arrogant but that's not the message I wanted to convey.

"As a driver I think it's fair to say that I do not go to Ferrari to aim for fourth place. That's not what I want to do. I always think about winning," added Leclerc.

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