Home F1 Binotto says there is no risk of losing control over Vettel/Leclerc

Mattia Binotto, Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc

Binotto says there is no risk of losing control over Vettel/Leclerc

12/10/2019

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says there is no risk of losing control over his team’s F1 drivers Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc.

Following the Russian GP, Ferrari looked to have a disaster brewing within their F1 driver line-up as the race was dominated by a pre-decided plan which wasn’t clearly followed with Sebastian Vettel refusing to let Charles Leclerc through, after he helped him with a tow.

Ferrari explained the strategy decision in Russia and cleared it up more in Japan as the camp appears to have worked things out between the two races, with both the drivers on the same page in regards to team orders and plans.

With Leclerc showing the pace he always had and matching Vettel in certain areas, there is every chance of relation implosion which could get ugly. But Binotto shrugged it down and added that there is no risk of losing control of either Vettel and or Leclerc.

“I don’t think there is the risk of losing control because there is a difference between not managing drivers and at least having the intent to manage them,” said Binotto. “There is always a solution which is not manage them, maybe someone may do so, I think our intention is to try to manage the situation to the benefit of the team and secondly to the benefit, overall, as well, of the drivers.

“We may do a few things that can be addressed or improved and I think that is what we are building and trying to do for the future. We had a positive, constructive, honest, fair, transparent discussions with both of them, individuals. I think what happened in Sochi, nothing really bad but certainly something that needs to be improved and addressed.

“I think it’s only an opportunity of lesson learned and trying to do better in the future. But how much I’m confident it will not happen, I’m not at all. I think these are both very good drivers. They are all going for a single objective which is winning themselves but I think what again is more important is that at least we between us we’ve got clarity and fairness and I think that’s key.”

Binotto reiterated that it is a luxury to have a line-up where both drivers are giving their best and are neck-and-neck with each other. At the same time, Vettel added that he is not feeling the pressure from Leclerc as much as it is being said.

The German feels that he hasn’t been able to extract as much as he can and it is not to do with Leclerc, with their relationship being the same since the start of the 2019 F1 season and not changing due to the recent happenings.

“Obviously, I am not happy if I’m slower, whether it’s practice or qualifying or race, that’s been the same not just this year, but the years before as well,” said Vettel to the media. “There are certain things this year I struggled here and there with the car, which I think didn’t allow me to maybe extract my best.

“I don’t think it would have been any different of anybody else had been in the other car. Charles is doing a very good job, but I generally believe it’s first of all a race against yourself and then the others. In that regard I struggled as I said to extract what I know I have in me.

“But on the other side I think it also very quickly looks different on the outside than what it actually is in the inside. I think there have been races where things didn’t fall into place and therefore didn’t look great on the outside, but still I think we were doing the right things and tackling the right things on the inside, so I’m not worried in that regard.

“The relationship [with Leclerc] is still the same as it was the whole year. I think we get along well together. Of course you don’t give yourself a centimeter on the track and want to beat the others. But that’s not a special relationship between me and him. I think that would be the same between me and everyone else.

“For the other teams that’s also the order of the day. I don’t know it any other way from the last few years, and that’s why it’s no different this year.” Backing up his teammate and also Binotto, Leclerc stated that the problem was due to miscommunication merely, rather than a fundamental problem between the two drivers.

“Obviously there was some misunderstanding from the car but I think we’ve had a discussion and everything is clear now,” he said. “It felt like it was a huge deal from the outside – which it definitely wasn’t but now everything is fine.

“I think that’s clear from the beginning of the season, we need to obey team orders and what is clear is that the situation wasn’t clear for both of the drivers, starting the race, and I think that’s the most important thing.

“So we spoke about it and we’ll make sure that this situation doesn’t happen again in the future.” Naturally, the team wants to use Russia as something to learn from, as they look to move forward and improve communication in future races.

Here’s how the order stacks up after Friday run in Japan