Charles Leclerc says Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto is able to be "tough" when necessary.
Some have questioned whether Binotto, having stepped up from being technical boss, is the right man to manage Ferrari's increasingly tetchy driver lineup.
"He's a calm person, which is important in an environment like Formula 1," Leclerc is quoted by Speed Week.
"But he can be tough too if he needs to be. I think that's all you need when you're the boss."
Leclerc, 22, said Italian Binotto is particularly tough when he is dealing with moments of tension between the drivers.
The media perception is that Leclerc is challenging Sebastian Vettel's status as number 1 this year.
When asked about driver tension, Leclerc answered: "We do not like to see that, the whole team does not like it, and you don't need it in a team.
"So he has to be tough at those moments."
But Leclerc says Binotto can then temper that toughness when a driver is already chastising himself for making a mistake.
"He knows I'm very hard on myself, so he adjusts to that when maybe he could have been tougher. He wants to be tougher but he sees that I messed up and that only thing he tries to do is build me back up," he said.
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