The Southlander will be at home at Teretonga this weekend and says he has much higher expectations.
"This is where I got taught how to drive a race car. This is where it all began for me.
"I know this track inside and out so I am definitely expecting big things without putting pressure on myself.
"I think our team will do quite well - we have a good car and a good base of knowledge to go off over the past couple of years.
"I have got a good history here - a couple of years ago I won the Spirit of the Nation feature race here and beat Lance Stroll the current Williams Formula One driver and last year I finished second to Lando Norris."
The opening weekend highlighted the need for consistency with some drivers showing serious speed but also some mistakes where others took advantage.
"To be honest I think there are eight or nine cars that are super-fast and super-close. It was a big train at Ruapuna," Leitch said.
"[Jehan] Daruvala, the Force India driver, he is going to be fast. He was here last year but struggled a bit with inconsistency but he seems to have his head screwed on a bit more this year."
Leitch said his aim was to win the title in 2017. "Last year, we got third overall and I was still in a bit of a learning phase. This year, it is all about finishing up the front."