Extra pressure at Ferrari? 'When you realise that, you create pressure yourself'

For many drivers, coming out in Formula 1 for Ferrari is an absolute dream: the scarlet red, the iconic prancing horse and the ever-persistent passion of Italian fans. On the other hand, there is constantly high expectation. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, the Ferrari drivers of the moment, know all about it.

In Formula 1, the pressure is always enormous; at Ferrari, it is just that one step more. Not everyone can perform under the immense expectations of Ferrari fans and the Italian media. Speaking to Italian FormulaPassion.com, however, Leclerc says he never worries about the pressure.

"It was not something I was ever bothered by, and it never felt like pressure, but rather something positive, in the sense that we can count on a lot of support all over the world," said the Leclerc. "When you see the huge passion in everyone who travels after us, sometimes coming from very far to watch a Formula One race, you are already forced to perform well."

His colleague Carlos Sainz - who gave Ferrari their only F1 victory in the 2023 season - is equally outspoken as his teammate: "For me, the fans are always a support and they don't give me any pressure! The real pressure comes from the driver himself; the driver is the most competitive soul in the whole paddock, and if he doesn't do something well, that automatically creates pressure. We always have the idea of being the best, and when you realise that is not the case, you create the pressure yourself for this very reason," Sainz said.