Leclerc looking forward to development of 2020 car

©Ferrari

For the first time in his short F1 career, Charles Leclerc will help develop Ferrari's next car with the benefit of having a year of experience under his belt.

Leclerc left Alfa Romeo Racing after his maiden season in F1 to join the House of Maranello. So 2020 will mark the first time the Monegasque will enjoy a second year with the same outfit.

"It’s the first time in my single-seater career where I stay in the same team from one year to another, which also should be an interesting challenge to develop the car," Leclerc told Formula1.com,

"Overall, we progressed quite a lot [in 2019], which I think is the most important, and now I'm really looking forward to keeping this momentum for next year."

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Leclerc concluded his sophomore year in the sport with two race wins and seven pole positions, more than any other driver on the grid in 2019.

On the back of the impressive speed it had shown in winter testing, Ferrari was the favourite for top honours before the season kicked off in Melbourne, but struggles unexpectedly ensued in the first half of the season, with Mercedes' W10 having a clear upper hand over the Scuderia's low-downforce SF90H.

But the Scudueria's contender emerged as a stronger package after F1's summer break, delivering three consecutive wins to the team.

"It's been a bit of a weird season," admitted Leclerc. "We started off definitely not where we thought we would start after the winter testing.

"Winter testing was very positive, then we arrived at the first race and we have been struggling quite a lot.

"But then after that, I think the progression was very good. Austin has been a little bit weird too. We still don't really understand why we were so off the pace.

"But overall I think it has been a positive season – apart from the first race, that has been very negative."

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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.