Leclerc: Sauber extracting maximum out of 2018 F1 car at every race 

Charles Leclerc believes a key factor behind Sauber’s improved 2018 form has been the Formula 1’s team’s ability to consistently extract maximum performance out of its car. 

The revitalised Alfa Romeo-backed Sauber outfit has enjoyed a strong start to the new season and has already more than doubled its 2017 points tally to leapfrog Williams into ninth place in the constructors’ championship after the opening eight races. 

Sauber has enjoyed a consistent run in since the start of the European leg of the season, with rookie star Leclerc finishing inside the top 10 at four of the last five rounds thanks to a series of brilliant performances that has seen him increasingly linked with a possible promotion to Ferrari in 2019. 

“We seem to extract the maximum out of the car every race, so that’s great,” Leclerc said. “Potentially in Paul Ricard another point was there without my mistake but it happens sometimes. 

“Overall I think we are doing a great job. As Frederic [Vasseur] said, the consistency [over] more than only one race where you are a star and then going down… it’s important to have that consistency and now we have it.”

Leclerc labelled the French Grand Prix as Sauber’s “best weekend” of the season so far and praised his team for its ability to turnaround a “disaster” of a Friday into a Q3 appearance in qualifying and another points finish in the race. 

“I think it was the best weekend for many reasons, especially because of the Friday to Saturday jump,” he explained. “The whole team did a really good jump. We worked very well without panicking much, even though there were a lot of reasons to panic and we managed to keep calm and work the right way. 

“We had an amazing performance on Saturday with a Q3 - that felt like a pole position. Then on Sunday we had amazing pace again, it was again a surprise to fight with cars like Haas, Renault. Renault was a bit quicker but at times we were quicker than them and the ones putting the pressure on them. So it was very good surprise for all of us.”

Sauber has introduced a number of small updates at almost every round in 2018 as it bids to move up F1’s pecking order, though Leclerc feels the Swiss squad is not yet in a position to repeat its performance at Paul Ricard every weekend. 

“I don’t think so, not yet,” he said. “I think the team is extremely good at giving me the balance I want in the car and that is helping a lot our performance, because it its making the car easy to drive for my driving style and I like it. 

“On the other hand on the potential of the car, we have still to improve, but this we know and they keep improving race after race. It’s small steps but as I said in F1 its not always a given but its been steps forward. 

“Sometimes you bring something and it goes backwards and this hasn’t happened to us yet so that’s a good thing and hopefully that continues.”

When asked where he feels the car is still lacking, Leclerc replied: “A little bit [of] downforce and a little bit car overall I guess. Also myself I can improve still so a little bit of everything. Apart from the engine - which is amazing - I would say we can improve everywhere.”

Leclerc continued his impressive form during opening practice for this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, as he set the ninth-quickest time in FP1.

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