How does Arthur Leclerc help Ferrari in the backround?

Arthur Leclerc claims that he is fully focused on developing Ferrari's F1 car this year after having stepped back from the intensity of racing that defined his life in recent years.

Speaking of his tasks in 2024, Leclerc said: "This year I am working on the development programme for the Scuderia. I support the team developing the car and preparing for the races in the simulator, but to complement the programme I’ve also been able to drive an F1 car twice, in January at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona and in May at Fiorano.

"Driving a Formula 1 is crazy. I’ll never forget the first time I jumped in one in Barcelona. The car felt really fast, straight away, right out of the pits. I could feel how much power there was and how it handled, especially compared to the Formula 2 cars I was used to. It actually felt somehow more similar to a Formula 3 car, in terms of downforce and power.

"Of course a lot of things were new to me, but it was incredible to actually share the track with Charles, especially driving a Ferrari. To me it was a dream come true and a really crazy experience. I can’t wait to do it again!"

Leclerc has raced in Monaco several times in recent years, although he did not always have success on the narrow streets of the Principality.

The Monegasque raced in Formula 3 in 2021 and 2022, driving for Prema Racing. With F3 have not raced in Monaco in those years, the 23-year-old needed to wait until last year when he stepped up into Formula 2 and finally got his opportunity of racing on home turf.

However, he endured a tough outing in Monte Carlo as je crashed in qualifying, which left him down in 20th. Ultimately, he completed a weekend to forget, finishing 14th in the sprint and retiring from the feature race with a brake issue.

Speaking of what the Monaco Grand Prix means to him and his elder brother Charles Leclerc, he said: "The Monaco Grand Prix means everything to us. It is the place where we were born, where we went to school and where our loved ones live. Monte Carlo is a small city and the Principality is a small country so of course we have a lot of support from the people. As every year, all our family and friends are coming to the race and it’s fun because the track is just a couple of hundred metres from our home.

"Of course, apart from our personal life, the Monaco Grand Prix is a historic track, one of the most famous – if not the most famous – Grand Prix in the world, and the atmosphere there is crazy. This only doubles up how special it is being a Monegasque driver driving in Monaco.

"Last year I raced there in Formula 2 and even though the weekend was disappointing, it was really special to compete in my home town, surrounded by my family, together with Charles."

The Monaco Grand Prix is unique not only because of the glamour, but also the difficulty of the race track. With the narrow streets, driver always flirt with the walls, and they often brush them with the shoulders of the tyres. Doing this without breaking anything on the car usually turns out to be the decisive factor.

Leclerc pinpointed to the driver's confidence that makes a difference during the Monaco race weekend, which drivers need to build up constantly.

"The Monaco Grand Prix is special not only because of the glamour and the history of the race, but also because it is a very unusual circuit through the twisty streets of Monte Carlo, and to be quick here you need to have maximum precision.

"It is very interesting to watch a qualifying session in slow-motion for example, where you see drivers touching the wall with the inside wheel. In order to achieve this extreme precision while being fast, it is very important to gradually build up confidence inside the car. Every minute of every session counts in order to achieve that confidence.

"At the end of the day, it is the work done during the weekend that makes the difference between a driver confident enough to push in qualifying, and a driver who is scared and takes time to get in the rhythm," concluded Leclerc.