Leclerc hails big improvements 'as a driver' in challenging year

Charles Leclerc says Ferrari's challenging 2020 campaign has spawned his personal development as a driver and brought him closer to his team.

Ferrari's massive underperformance this season has forced its drivers down the order and into the midfield where Leclerc has fared better than teammate Sebastian Vettel.

The weaknesses embed in the Scuderia's 2020 car have left the Italian outfit short on results, but Leclerc says the challenging environment and troubled year have also given rise to a few important personal improvements on his side of the garage.

"I'm happy, I'm satisfied with the way I have improved as a driver since the beginning of the season," said the Monegasque.

"Especially race tyre management wise, I think that was one of my weakest points last year. I put quite a lot of effort in that, and it seems to be better now.

"So this is a positive, and then also, I think it's in the toughest moments that you get even closer with the people that are working with you. And I think this is exactly what is happening.

"So we are trying to help the team as much as possible to come back where we want to be. And I think this is creating some strong links for me and, and the future with the team. So this is good. And I hope this difficult situation will be as short as possible."

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Leclerc says he isn't sure if a strong season with Ferrari would have delivered the same personal benefits, but he is undeniably a better driver after enduring many "difficult times" this season.

"I can't speak about [what would have happened] if the car will have been better. But anyway, I think it has made me a better driver, for sure," he said.

"Because in difficult times, I've found my determination in other ways, focusing on myself, trying to improve, even though it's not to fight for podiums, or wins, we are fighting for lower positions.

"But at the end it matters as much for me, and then in terms also of patience I don't think I was a very patient guy in the past, but now I have to be in the situation I'm in now.

"And I feel like I've improved on that too. So surely I'm a stronger driver than where I was at the beginning of the season, then if it's because of the situation we are in at the moment, I'm not sure.

"But my approach didn't really change, at the end I always try to analyse my weak points and to improve on those ones."

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