Ferrari's Charles Leclerc says that an honest assessment of his performances and recognizing his mistakes is the best way for him to improve.
Leclerc has enjoyed a mercurial rise through the ranks of motorsport, blitzing the filed in the junior categories before stepping up to F1 with Sauber in 2018.
The Ferrari protégé's impressive performances with the Swiss outfit earned him a plum drive this year with the Scuderia alongside Sebastian Vettel.
Leclerc has performed on an equal level with his four-time world champion teammate and would have even secured his maiden win in only his second race with the Italian squad in Bahrain had he not been impeded in the closing stages of the event by an engine issue.
But a few high-profile and ill-timed mistakes have also burdened the Ferrari driver's track record this season.
In Baku, Leclerc was a favourite for pole from the outset but crashed in Q2, the Monegasque calling himself "stupid" over the radio.
The 21-year-old was also caught by the treacherous conditions at Hockenheim during the German Grand Prix, a race he could have possibly won without the costly mishap.
In each instance however, Leclerc acknowledged his errors, a candor not always shared by his rivals;
"Actually, it’s the way I work," he explained, speaking to Crash.net.
"I think it’s the best way forward, to not try and find any excuses whenever you do a mistake
"[It’s best] just to analyse it and try and be very honest with yourself. That is what I am trying to do every time.
"I’m definitely not ashamed to say whenever I do a mistake, and I did one at the end [in Germany], it’s quite clear, so there’s no need to find excuses."
"I believe a few people sometimes still try and find excuses or make up excuses for their mistake. I’m not like this."
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says Leclerc owes part of his progress on the track to his ability to learn from his mistakes.
"We knew that Charles was a talent, we knew he was very strong because we saw him in GP3 and GP2," Binotto told Motorsport.com.
"Among the many aspects, the one that most surprised us is the continuous improvement that he manages to make race after race, it's incredible how you learn from your mistakes.
"We have seen that his weekend on the track is becoming more solid and profitable, and he still has room for growth. It gives us confidence for the future."
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