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Charles Leclerc has said that he was probably 'too greedy' during the race in Imola and Paul Ricard earlier in the season.
The Monagesque is third in the standings heading to the US GP in Austin this weekend and is in a battle with Red Bull's Sergio Perez to finish P2. Looking back at the season, Leclerc said that he has largely had a good season.
Amongst the minor blemishes, he pointed out Imola and Paul Ricard, where could have fared better. In an interview with Racingnews365, the Ferrari driver said:
"Honestly, I'm very happy with this season. Of course we're always going to talk about my mistakes in Imola and in France, but in over 23 races - we have too many now - there's always going to be a mistake at one point or another and especially (when you are) pushing for the limit."
"So yes, I was probably too greedy in France when there was no need to be greedy at that moment of the race (when he still needed to make his pitstop and was 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen)."
Talking about the incident in Imola, Leclerc said that he has learned a lot from the incident and any F1 driver tries to work on these details to get better. He said:
"Maybe also in Imola when the best I could (have done) was just staying in my position, and I thought about doing better. From a driver's point of view, it has given me many more things (to learn on and work from) that probably you don't see from the outside.
As a driver, you always try to work on the small details - not weaknesses - but every time you a race, you learn from it. You try to bring it forward and be a better driver. There's not much I would have changed personally at the beginning of the season."
Leclerc (252) trail Perez by a point heading into the US GP in Austin this weekend.
I wasn't trying to overcompensate - Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc snubbed the suggestion that he was trying to overcompensate for the team's deficiencies when he made those mistakes.
The Ferrari driver missed a step in both France and Imola but he put them down to pushing too hard and nothing else. He said:
"I don't think when I did the mistakes, I had to compensate for anything. It was just obviously motivation to do in (Ferrari's home race at) Imola, and then in France, yes, I did the mistake. But I think that could have happened anywhere in the season."
On what needs to work on in the future, Leclerc stressed on the importance of having better Sundays. He said:
"For me, it's not this. I try to push the limits all the time, and then there was this big mistake in France and smaller one in Imola. I cannot change it. I feel like it is being talked (about) much more than it should be.
Obviously, looking at the points gap, it is huge, and there has been consecutive points losses, and at one point, everything we were doing was under the spotlights. As a team, we just need to be better executing Sundays - and this is what we should work (towards)."
Charles Leclerc will have a five-place grid drop this weekend for taking a sixth different engine this year - three more than what's permitted. So it will be interesting to see his mindset and approach.
