Leclerc hails "best season in F1" despite Ferrari struggles

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has hailed the past season as his "best in Formula 1" despite the team's apparent shortcomings.

Leclerc finished eighth in the drivers' standings with 166 points less than last year's tally - and with just four fewer races - as Ferrari struggled to establish itself in the midfield battle.

The Monégasque, after outperforming team-mate Sebastian Vettel and picking up two podiums in addition to a further four top-five finishes, is able to see the positives from an extraordinary season.

"For the future, I think we have learnt a lot from this season and will come back stronger," he said. "I hope we can show that on track next year.

"I don't know if we will do a big step next year but I am sure whatever step we will do will be in the right direction and then on that season, for myself too,

"I think it is my best season in Formula 1. I think what I have shown on track, I am very happy with my season. It has not been easy but personally, I feel I have given my best.

"I have taken risks that most of the time went positively and made us gain a lot of points. On a few occasions, it didn't happen the way I wanted and we have lost a few points but I think as a whole, this season has been very positive for my performance.

"I am very happy and am looking forward to next year to see how much of a gain we will have."

Leclerc surprised everyone when hustling the SF-1000 to second in the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix but he conceded he knew something was amiss as early as pre-season testing.

"It has been a difficult season," he explained. "I think there are two sides of the season for me.

"After Barcelona testing, I think we all knew something was not quite right. As a team, we pushed each other to believe in it, to hope, which I think is a good thing in these situations.

"But also to work as hard as possible, to try to come at the first race and maximise what we had, which is what we did.

"I think during the season, even though it was difficult to accept this situation after the first race because in reality, it was obvious.

"We worked very hard and we worked in a constructive way and we proved from that moment onwards that we had small steps in the right direction and this is not always a given in Formula 1."

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