Leclerc on painful criticism: 'That kind of thing affects me the most'

Some drivers receive more criticism than others. With social media, of course, everyone has the opportunity to post comments about what they think of a driver. This can be positive, but obviously also negative.

Leclerc open about painful criticism

Leclerc also gets criticism via social media from time to time. When asked what kind of criticism hurts him the most, he replied, "The critics that hurt me the most are the ones that don't define me as a person. I think in the world we are living in now with social media, everybody can give their opinion super easily. And also people that don't know you personally."

The Monegasque continued: "I remember two or three years ago, someone would say, 'Look how arrogant he is.' These are critics that really hurt me because I know I'm not like this. And it's difficult to accept them when you are not really like that, and I remember that hurting me personally."

Leclerc on criticism at start of Formula One career

At the beginning of his career, Leclerc also had to get used to the criticism he received about how he drove: "This used to hurt me, especially during my first year in Formula 1, because you go from being a Formula 2 driver where there is no media and nobody talks about you. You make a mistake, and only my mum or dad will say, 'OK, Charles, you made a mistake. That's not good.'"

"When you get to Formula 1, then you are in the spotlight of absolutely everything," the Ferrari driver continued. "You make a mistake, and hundreds or thousands of people are speaking about it on social media. It takes a bit of time to get used to. I remember during my first year in Formula 1, I was watching absolutely everything that people would say about me because it was new for me. Then you learn to just make sure that you only value what the people you love most think about you. And that is only what matters to me."

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy