Charles Leclerc thinks it would be detrimental to become “obsessed” about his first Formula 1 win.
The Monegasque has already felt the anguish of a heartbreaking loss this season having seen a commanding lead wiped out by an engine problem in Bahrain.
But while some might expect the pressure to grow as more races past by without scoring that maiden win, Leclerc believes his current approach is the best one.
“[Winning my first race is] not an obsession,” he told Formula1.com on Thursday.
“My obsession at the moment is to do the best job I can in the car and extract the full potential of it and then I am sure the results will come.
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“Obviously I am impassioned for this moment to happen – if it will ever happen – and I will work for that.
“But I am not obsessed with it and I don’t think it would be a good way to approach the weekend, only thinking about the win. I am just obsessed with extracting the best from the car.”
Leclerc would follow up, however, by admitting he arrives in Azerbaijan with confidence based on his past experience at the circuit.
“It would be a good sign to have it here,” he said, having won the F2 feature race in Baku in 2017 just a few days after the death of his father.
“I will give it everything and if it comes now or later, I don’t know. I will try to do everything in my hands to do the best result possible.
“I feel somehow particularly confident in street tracks, [and it’s] no exception here because I really love this track and driving as close as possible to the walls without touching them. This is a challenge I like as a driver.”