Charles Leclerc has vowed not to change his way of working after crashing out of the French Grand Prix, arguing that it has given him "the edge" so far this season. Leclerc controlled the early stages of last weekend's race at Paul Ricard before crashing out and effectively handing the race win to title rival Max Verstappen. Leclerc's retirement combined with Verstappen's victory means the Dutchman now holds a 63-point lead in the Drivers' Championship with 10 races to run. But after describing his mistake as "unacceptable" in the immediate aftermath of the race, Leclerc has made clear that he will not change his style or approach to car set-up.
Leclerc: I pushed too much and paid the price
Asked if he plans to move away from a "slightly lively rear of the car" in an interview with Sky Sports F1 , Leclerc commented: "No, because I think that's what gave me the edge in most of the races this year. "At the beginning of the year, I didn't really know how to manage it well at some tracks, like Miami [where] I struggled massively in the race, but overall, I felt I got better and better. "It's definitely something that I want to keep, because there are loads of benefits of having it. "The downside that comes with it is that it is much more difficult to drive, but at the end [of the day], I'm a racing driver and I need to be able to drive a car that is a bit more 'oversteery'. "This time, I pushed a bit too much on that lap and I paid the price for it."
Leclerc aiming to bounce back in style
Leclerc has set his sights on recovering from the disappointment with victory at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. "Now it's [in the] past. I need to move on. I'll focus 100 per cent for this race and try to do the best possible," he said. "I think the best possible reaction is to win, and that's exactly what I will try to do." As for his overall growth, Leclerc added: "Mistakes like last weekend still show that I've got some way to go, but I'm getting there. "In moments like last Sunday, everybody puts you down and this is not easy, but that's fine, it's part of the job. "Now I just need to focus on myself, grow from that and show everybody what I'm worth."
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