Charles Leclerc has praised the progress made by Sauber in Formula 1 this season, with the team having comfortably returned to the midfield pack.
Sauber scored only seven points across 2016/17 and was regularly mired at the rear of the field last year, as it set about implementing a long-term recovery plan.
Sauber has achieved points finishes in six of the nine Grands Prix held so far in 2018, with Leclerc having escaped Q1 across the last six events, a spell that also included a Q3 appearance in France.
“The team is doing an incredible job as we can see,” said Leclerc.
“At the beginning of the year we started not even going into Q2, for sure that was also a part of me that was not giving the right job to the team so we were not achieving Q2 because also part of me.
“But I think the team has also made a step forward, and I made a step forward, and together we managed to do good results every weekend since quite a bit now. It’s great to see that.
“Overall I’m very proud of the team, they are always going in the same direction which is a good direction and I’m very happy about that.”
Leclerc believes that a change in approach in Azerbaijan, after three subdued races to begin his career in the premier class, has yielded dividends for both himself and the team.
“I think since I’ve understood the car from Baku I think I’ve been pretty clear with the team of what I’ve wanted to have in the car in terms of balance,” he said.
“And they’ve been very good at giving me the car I’ve wanted in terms of balance, so that has made life easier.
“You can tell them ‘okay I like the car like this’ and if we can gain aero then that’s good but that’s more a team work and they’ve achieved this on their own and I have no credit to take from this.
“But I think I’ve been pretty clear of what I’ve wanted at the car and they’ve been pretty good to give me the car I’ve wanted.”
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