The trait that makes Leclerc Ferrari's future

What is most surprising about 21-year-old Charles Leclerc becoming Ferrari's youngest ever Formula 1 race winner, nestling between Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen in terms of the fewest attempts to take that maiden victory, is not that it has happened so soon. Instead, it's that it has taken this long.

From the moment Leclerc stepped into the Ferrari, he has looked the part. From race two in Bahrain he appeared more than ready to take the top step of the podium.

There have been days where things have not been smooth; but it says much about his qualities that he has learned from those dips to ensure the peaks afterwards are higher.

From the Bahrain engine heartbreak he learned better to handle disappointment. From the Azerbaijan qualifying blunder he took on board lessons to be better on Saturdays. From the Austria defeat he learned to race harder. And from the Hungary form slump he learned to improve his tyre management to help his race pace.

Step-by-step, weekend-by-weekend, he has climbed higher and higher until he hit the kind of form we saw at Spa, despite the difficult emotions of the weekend.

It is almost hard to believe that 12 months ago, as Ferrari made its mind up that Leclerc would replace Kimi Raikkonen, some questioned whether or not it was too big an ask to promote Leclerc after just one season in F1.

The argument was that Leclerc needed more time to jump from points contender to potential race winner; that the pressure of driving for Ferrari's own team was too big for someone so young; and there was a danger that he could be crushed by it all.

For Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, who has long followed Leclerc's career and played a part in the decision last year to replace Raikkonen, the situation was completely clear.

"No, it was not a risk," he told Autosport about the potential pitfalls of Leclerc's step up.

Proving that point, Leclerc has delivered everything asked of him on track. But what has impressed the team most is his work ethic, and the ability to emerge from setbacks stronger.

"The way that Charles is growing is very positive," Binotto told Autosport recently about the progress Leclerc has made. "Because there was a lot of expectations at first, a lot of pressure on him, on his shoulders.

What is perhaps most exciting about Leclerc is not what he is capable of now though, but where he goes from here

"He's a talent, we knew it, but I think he's really learning from mistakes, and that's more important. Even his collaboration with the team, his way of supporting the team in the development of the car, is improving race-by-race, day-by-day."

Anyone who has watched Leclerc's season up close will know how hard he is on himself when he make mistakes: how he seems to get almost furious with himself. The radio messages in Baku qualifying and the Hockenheim race are proof of that.

He is not afraid to reflect on his weaknesses and try to work out ways to banish them. Earlier this year, it was his single lap pace that was a major focus; especially with his struggles to put together the sectors in Q3 having been exposed as one of his few negatives from his rookie campaign with Sauber.

That issue got addressed; but perhaps then at the expense of his race form. It was the latter that he looked at in depth after Hungary, when Ferrari was left powerless to do anything about Mercedes and Max Verstappen disappearing in to the distance.

Leclerc said: "I think I've been in better form, especially in qualifying since six races [ago], I've changed my approach a little bit. In the race, it's been a bit of a different story. I've been struggling a little bit in the two previous races but I've changed here and it seems to pay off, so that's great."

That ability to learn is something Binotto highlights as key to his rapid ascent.

"We knew that he was a talent, we knew that he was very strong when attacking or defending, because we could've seen that in F3 [GP3] and F2.

"If there's anything that's surprising us it is how much he's improving through the races. He's really learning from mistakes.

"I don't think we should look at the past but look at the future. So I think it's not a matter of regrets but what can you do in the future" Binotto on Ferrari's old reluctance to sign young drivers

"And race-after-race, his weekend is becoming more solid and solid, and I think he can even do better than what he's doing.

"It's a matter of his own confidence, of himself doing his own experience, that gives us confidence for the future."

The emergence of Leclerc also seems to have energised some of his rivals, with Lewis Hamilton especially impressed.

Sitting next to Leclerc in the post-race press conference in Belgium, Hamilton said: "It's not easy for any driver to jump into a top team, let alone Ferrari, against a four-time world champion in the sport [with] more than God knows how much more experience. Then to continue from race one, outperform, outqualify and outdrive a four-time world champion is not easy to do."

Where the rise of Leclerc leaves Sebastian Vettel long term is going to be fascinating. It was interesting to see Vettel deliberately take a back seat in the official team photo on Sunday - standing in the last row as he was beckoned by his team-mate to move forward - but not wishing to take any of the spotlight away from Leclerc. Vettel later also made his excuses and was allowed to skip the post-race Ferrari media briefing.

What is perhaps most exciting about Leclerc is not what he is capable of now - a second win at Monza this weekend is definitely within grasp - but where he goes from here judging by the progress he has made.

Binotto is bullish about what a strong force Ferrari and Leclerc can be as they mature together - having abandoned Ferrari's previous reluctance to go for less experienced talent.

Asked if Ferrari had regrets about not going for young talent in the past, Binotto said: "I don't think we should look at the past, but look at the future. So I think it's not a matter of regrets, but what can you do in the future.

"And it's true that now as a young driver, as we have also got an experienced one, he will be very good for us. I think we are as well a young team, as I often said, with people junior in their role, and I think we are good enough in having patience for what is required. This team can only deliver well in the future."