F1 | Ferrari, Binotto on Vettel-Leclerc: "Free to race, but the priority is the interest of the team"
On Vettel's renewal: "We have started discussing it, we hope to do it soon"
Among the topics touched on in the exclusive interview given to the official Formula One website, Mattia binotto also discussed the relationship between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc and the renewal negotiations concerning the German, whose contract expires at the end of 2020. Furthermore, the Ferrari team principal analyzed the behavior of the SF1000 based on the driving style of the two standard bearers of the Red Army.
"What happened last year was important for both of us – declared Binotto -. We discussed and clarified the various aspects. The interest of the team is the priority and the constructors' championship is a key element. They are free to run, but that doesn't mean we can't still enforce team orders in the best interest of the team. But if the team does well the riders benefit".
Binotto then, continuing to talk about his two pilots, added: “They are two intelligent guys, they are getting to know each other better after what happened last year, not only in Brazil, but also in Russia when we tried to manage the team orders. These situations gave us the opportunity to discuss and when you discuss transparently, you get to know each other better. I think we've built more trust between us as a team, between the riders, and that will be useful in 2020".
Then speaking about Vettel's renewal he said: “We started discussing a new agreement. It's important that we address this early enough. It's not something we'll talk about at the end of the season. It is important for him and for us to get clarity as soon as possible. Discussions are ongoing and we hope to have them soon".
On Vettel as a driver: “He's in great shape. I think he's focused. He knows he has to do well. It's a key moment in his career, because anything he can do at the start of the season will be important for his renewal. It's in his hands. So I think he's very motivated. Last year was important for him. Charles' performance took him by surprise. He now knows where the benchmark is and what he has to do, so I think he has prepared very well over the winter. He spent last year trying to figure out what went wrong and making sure he did better this year".
On the SF1000: “It should be better suited to Vettel, at least from the first indications from Barcelona. UOne of the best skills of great drivers is being able to adapt to the car you have available to get the most out of it. For our part we must try to help them achieve this objective, which we do with both drivers. Charles has prepared very well over the winter and has already started to show it in the tests, as has Sebastian. Charles knows that the second year on a top team has more pitfalls, but he is a boy who learns so quickly that I'm sure he will be able to handle the pressure in the best way".
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