Leclerc relieved of 'quite a bit of weight' after Spa win

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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc admits that his maiden Grand Prix win at Spa last weekend has taken "quite a bit of weight" off his shoulders.

Flawless execution by both team and driver in the Belgian Grand Prix allowed Leclerc to finally break his duck and conquer a win that had eluded the Monegasque on several occasions earlier this year.

The 21-year-old Scuderia charger held off a late charge from Mercedes Lewis Hamilton to become the Italian outfit's youngest Grand Prix winner.

"I am very happy this first win is done," Leclerc told the media ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

"It's always difficult to do this first step but once you do it, it takes quite a bit of weight out of your shoulders.

"I am very proud, but not much time to think about it. We are already here only four days later in Italy and we need to focus fully on the job we have to do here."

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Leclerc raced with a heavy heat in Spa, a day after childhood friend Anthoine Hubert was killed in the Formula 2 feature race.

The emotions, combined with Hamilton's pressure made for "a very tough weekend", albeit one he negotiated with fortitude and focus.

"We managed to put everything together," said Leclerc.

"There was great teamwork between myself and especially Seb [Vettel] who did the job keeping Lewis behind for a few laps that were very helpful for me towards the end of the race."

©Ferrari

Although unhappy with the performance gap he suffered in Spa relative to his victorious teammate, Vettel praised Leclerc and vowed to work with him to push Ferrari forward.

"It's good to see that he is right on the pace straight away and from the team's point of view what is important is we work together and not against each other," said the four-time world champion.

"That seems to work and that is the important thing. It was a big weekend for him last weekend even through it was overshadowed by circumstances."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.