Leclerc trying to "focus on negatives" after back-to-back F1 wins

Throughout his short F1 career so far, Leclerc's ability to self-improve after errors and under-performance has been highlighted as key to his rapid progression.

He said he was trying to keep that mindset even after the success of his back-to-back wins at the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix.

"I always focus on the negatives," said Leclerc ahead of the Singapore GP.

"Even after a win, even after a weekend that looked perfect from the outside, there is always something that you can improve and especially in myself, at only 21 years old, I have a lot to improve still.

"So I always focus on the negatives, try to understand that and try to work on that for the race after."

Asked to clarify what negatives he could find from his pair of hard-fought victories, Leclerc replied: "I think in the way I build up to qualifying and the race and the balance of set-up between qualifying and the race, compromise maybe a bit more in qualifying to be better in the race.

"There are a few things I can still improve. But on these two things, this is where my focus is."

The Monza result moved Leclerc 13 points ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel into fourth place in the drivers' championship.

But he denied feeling he was now Ferrari's number one driver.

"I have never felt that way," Leclerc insisted.

"From the outside I don't know if it looks different or whatsoever, but from the inside of it, it is very balanced.

"There have been situations in the past where I have helped Sebastian and some others where Seb helped me and I think that is the way forward for the team."

Vettel had expressed frustration that the Q3 mess at Monza - where only Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr started a lap before the chequered flag due to an unwillingness from any driver to be followed - meant he did not get the tow from Leclerc that he had been promised.

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto then said he 'forgave' Leclerc over team radio following his win next day.

Leclerc underlined in Singapore that he had not deliberately tried to compromise Vettel.

"It was a very tricky situation at the beginning of the lap with the big mess," he said.

"I don't want to talk about it again, but it made us quite late to go to the finish line.

"There was definitely no want from me to sacrifice Seb's second lap or whatever."