Charles Leclerc does not plan to change anything about the way he drives in the wake of his crash which cost him a potential victory at the French Grand Prix.
The Ferrari racer was leading the race when he span off track while pushing hard to avoid an undercut from title rival Max Verstappen. As a result he crashed into a tyre wall, and gifted the victory and another 25 points to the defending champion.
The gap between them is now 63 points and closing it will be a difficult task for Leclerc. But even after that crash and another similar error earlier in the season at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he does not plan on doing anything differently.
Asked if he plans on making any changes to the way he drives, he replied: "No, 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 the car well at some tracks, like Miami I struggled massively at the race.
"But overall, I feel I've got better and better with it, so it's definitely something that I want to keep for sure because it has lots of benefits. The downside is it makes the car more difficult to drive, but I am a racing driver and I need to be able to drive a car that is a bit pushier which I do, but this time, I pushed a bit too much on that lap and I paid the price for it.
"I'll focus 100 per cent for this race and try to do the best possible. I think the best possible reaction is to win this weekend and that's exactly what I will try to do."
Leclerc gave a very honest interview after the crash in which he accepted complete responsibility for the error. Visibly distraught, he later revealed he would be locking himself away for a few days as he "just wanted to be alone".
He ended that self-imposed isolation to travel to Budapest for the final race before the summer break, where he faced more questions about his mindset. But he was quick to dismiss suggestions that he is not yet in the right place to mount a serious title challenge.
"I do feel I'm ready," countered the 24-year-old. "If I look at the first part of the season especially, I think it's been my strongest season in Formula 1. I think in the races especially, I've made another step up which is good. Mistakes like last weekend show I've still got some way to go but I'm getting there, and I know my worth."
