Leclerc: I learnt from Vettel’s detail to Ferrari engineers

Charles Leclerc says one of the biggest areas he learnt from Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel is the depth and insight of feedback the four-time Formula 1 world champion delivers to his engineers.

Having stepped up to Ferrari in only his second season in F1, Leclerc became the inexperienced youngster partnering team leader and one of the best drivers on the grid in Vettel.

As their first season together developed, including on-track flashpoints which boiled over at the Brazilian Grand Prix when the pair collided, Leclerc feels he’s been able to improve in almost all areas working alongside the German driver.

A major point Leclerc feels he has learnt from Vettel has been his feedback to engineers when trying to develop and tweak Ferrari’s F1 car both to his needs and while also aiming to extract stronger performance.

“I learnt a lot; he is extremely professional and goes into a lot of detail and Seb is also a very nice person so are working well together,” Leclerc said during a fans Q&A at Autosport International. “Obviously we’ve had our moments on the track where he learnt together and hopefully some won’t happen again, things like in Brazil.

“I think we are mature enough out of the car to work together and to try to develop the car in the right way.

“I think in the way he is working with the team and engineers I have learnt a lot and I still have a lot to learn. He is going into a lot of detail and things I never thought would be helpful to the engineers, he will say anything. Sometimes I will just listen for one hour to hear what he has to say about a session, and it is very, very interesting.”

Leclerc subsequently beat Vettel in the 2019 F1 drivers’ world championship with the Monegasque driver taking fourth place ahead of the German by 24 points. Leclerc also secured two wins to his teammate’s single victory plus seven pole positions to the German’s two last year.

The 22-year-old has duly been rewarded with a new Ferrari contract which keeps him at the Scuderia until at least 2024, while Vettel’s current deal expires at the end of this season.