Leclerc flattered by title challenge talk

It may have been a mixed start to his life as a Ferrari driver, but Charles Leclerc has admitted he’s flattered by the high praise he’s received from his competitors with the Monegasque now considered a contender for the title.

Leclerc has shown excellent pace in the opening races of the season but has been unlucky with team orders and reliability issues in Bahrain costing the 21-year-old more success so far this season. At the last race in Baku Leclerc crashed in Q2 costing him a realistic chance of the race win, leaving him 40 points off the top of the standings.

With time on his side, the Ferrari driver expressed his pleasure of hearing his competitors consider him a real challenger but there’s still a long way to go.

"It is very nice to hear a five-time world champion like Hamilton consider me a contender for the title,” Leclerc told Le Journal du Dimanche.

“There are also many other people who say they see me already there, but I believe that the road to get there is long.”

“What is certain is that I will do everything to get there.

“I want to be the best in my sport, but at the same time, I realize how difficult it is since I was a child and competed in karts I wanted to win.

“So yes, becoming a world champion is a goal I want to achieve.”