Charles Leclerc believes his own approach to racing will negate any feeling of pressure once he steps into the Ferrari next season.
At 21, the Monegasque will become the youngest race driver for the Scuderia since Ricardo Rodriguez 57 years ago when he replaces Kimi Raikkonen and represents the iconic Italian team full-time.
He will also be faced with having to go up against and beat the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, ensuring Ferrari have two cars firmly in the fight for both championships.
“I definitely need to deliver,” Leclerc was quoted by Crash.net. “I have had a very good season this year where I have learned the most of it and next year I have to perform in a big team.
“I still have to learn a lot of things but I will be a lot ready than this year and my target is to go and do the best job I have with the car.
“I think this year they have the best car and a chance to win the title and if next year is the same then it will be the same, to win the title, and that will be a big thing, but I will have to grow a lot as a driver and take the best results possible.”
The current Sauber driver isn’t too concerned by the scale of the challenge that awaits him in 2019, however.
“I can see that a lot of people think I will have a lot more pressure on my shoulders but I really don’t,” he claimed. “I think I have a mentality which really takes off all the pressure. I really focus on myself and don’t really think about what people expect from me in the car.
“If I do the right job in the car and I work in the right way, then the performances will be there. I just fully focus on myself and do a good job on the car, so no, I don’t feel the pressure.”
