F1: Charles Leclerc at home with Ferrari

Charles Leclerc says the move from Sauber to Ferrari is a “smaller step” in comparison to what he was faced with at this stage last year.

The 21-year-old joined Sauber from Formula 2 ahead of the 2018 season and initially struggled as he failed to claim any top-10 finishes in his first three races.

Leclerc then hit his stride with points finishes in five of the next six grands prix and rounded off the campaign by finishing seventh in each of the last three races.

The youngster, who spent three years in Ferrari’s Driver Academy, carried out two days of testing last week in the Scuderia’s new SF90 and he feels he is in a better place going into the 2019 campaign than he was before the season with Sauber.

“It’s a different position I am in because last year when I arrived in winter testing, I was coming from Formula 2, so the step was big,” he told Motorsport Week.

“Now it’s from a Formula 1 car to another Formula 1 car, so obviously the step is smaller. But I got used to it very quickly, so I already feel quite at ease with the car.

“There are already a lot of things that I need to get at ease with, but already the feeling is very good.

“It’s a car that is quite easy to drive now.”

Leclerc is 5.50 to win the Drivers’ Championship outright and team-mate Sebastian Vettel can be backed at 3.25, with Ferrari 2.80 to take the Constructors’ Championship.