Sebastian Vettel was able to realize the difference of control between Charles Leclerc and former his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen during the eight days pre-season testing in Barcelona.
The German driver, Sebastian Vettel, obviously had unlimited access to the Ferrari SF90 data during the eight days of testing in Barcelona, even when his new teammate, Leclerc, was driving.
The quadruple world champion worked hand in hand with the Monegasque during the winter tests, to try to develop the SF90 together.
But after these tests, the two Ferrari drivers will become rivals on the track, even if they both work for the same team, because in F1.
“Of course it’s a little different, it has a different dynamic. It’s a new team for him [Charles Leclerc], he has to do a lot of things and you have to meet a lot of people during your first year in a new team. I think it’s different from Kimi, I guess it’s perfectly normal, because everyone is different.” Vettel said.
“We are talking about the same things, trying to find the best balance and highlighting the weak points of the car. In that sense, I think it’s pretty similar to Kimi, but what I can see in the data is that it’s a bit different. It goes without saying that he is fast and knows how to fly the car – he would not be here or otherwise.” Vettel added.
Sebastian Vettel drives his Ferrari during the first day of testing in Barcelona. (Source:www.driven.com)
Scuderia Ferrari manager Mattia Binotto insisted that Vettel would remain the No. 1 driver early in the season, but that the two men were completely free to fight during the season.
“Of course, they will both be free to fight. We will not ask Charles to be slow, or Sebastian to be faster. We need them both to be at the maximum and of course doing their best.” Binotto said.
“But certainly, if there is any ambiguous situation at the beginning of the season, Sebastian is the one with the most experience, he has been with us for a few years, he has already won championships, so he is our champion.
“I think it’s a good decision for Ferrari, because when you have clear intentions from the beginning, you do not make mistakes when you find yourself in ambiguous situations.” Binotto added.
