Charles Leclerc admits it “bothers” him when people suggest he has become arrogant during his two years in Formula 1.
The Monegasque became somewhat of a darling in the paddock during his first two years as he showed his potential at Sauber and backed it up with an impressive first year at Ferrari.
Then, during the Covid-19 lockdown, Leclerc also became part of the ‘Twitch quartet’ with Lando Norris, Alex Albon and George Russell.
However, as he established himself ahead of Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari, and after not taking a knee as part of the pre-race anti-racism message, some people’s views of the 23-year-old have changed.
“One [criticism] that touches me more than others is arrogance because I know very well that I haven’t changed,” Leclerc told Sky Italia.
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“The further I go in my career, the more I see that people want to be my friend, certainly not because they like me as a person but because I am a Ferrari driver.
“So I close myself a little but that’s not arrogance, I haven’t changed from that point of view.
“Both my father and Jules [Bianchi] always told me to keep my feet on the ground,” he added.
“Everything in my career has gone pretty fast and in the right direction, but I’ve always kept that advice in mind.
“That’s why the word [arrogance] bothers me more than the others.”
Leclerc has also become known for being ruthless on the track, with his bold overtakes sometimes resulting in disaster but also earning him two podiums last year.
“Every time I’m on the grid I think about victory, even when I know it is difficult when it is impossible and I know we need a bit of luck,” he said of his approach.
“We have to believe it when we are in the car. I believe it, I believe it every time I get in the car, even in a season like the one just gone.
“For myself, I think it’s my best season personally in F1. What I’ve shown on the track, I’m very happy with my season,” he told Italy’s Il Giornale.
“It was a very difficult year because the car didn’t have the performance we hoped for but I was much more consistent, and more often I was able to give 100 percent.
“The aggressiveness that cost me the podium in Turkey and led me to the accident in the second race in Bahrain is also what allowed me during the season to get results and score many points when we really didn’t expect it.”
Looking ahead, Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has set returning to third in the Constructors’ Championship as the minimum goal for the Scuderia in 2021…
“We have to be realistic but also optimistic,” Leclerc said, adding his view. “I’m here to get Ferrari to win in the shortest possible time, but it won’t be easy.”