Mattia Binotto says Vettel and Leclerc will start 2020 "on the same level"
F1 News
Mattia Binotto says that Ferrari teammates Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc will begin 2020 as equals, with neither of them being a designated number one from the off. Leclerc finished ahead of Vettel in 2019, their first season together, but Binotto will wait to see if either driver takes the lead early on before deciding on a number one.
Vettel began the 2019 season as the team's preferred driver, but it was soon obvious that the two drivers were very closely matched, and it was in fact Leclerc who took more wins and podiums.
This gives Ferrari a difficult choice, do they stick with Vettel or go with their young star? Binotto says the Italians will not prefer either.
He said at Ferrari's post-season debrief: “They will start on the same level but the team remains the priority.
“If there is a time of the season in which one of the two will have such an advantage in the World Championship, we will evaluate.
"If there is such a condition that it is normal and natural to focus on one of the two to maximise the chances of winning, we will do it. But it is premature.
“If they will have one or two points difference in a few races from the end and mathematically only one of them can become champion? They will do what they want.”