Singapore GP | Vettel on Leclerc: "If you are young and fast, age doesn't matter. Kimi is the perfect example!"
Sebastian Vettel subtly manifested that he would have preferred Kimi Raikkonen as his teammate for 2019. Read more to get the Ferrari driver's reaction to the latest news.
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Sebastian Vettel's media time in Singapore kicked off in how we expected. The first question was already mentioning the name of his teammate -to-be Leclerc. Asked if the news Ferrari broke are going to make some changes, he said: "To be honest right now nothing changes, I am focusing on the next races rather than on next year. It is a great opportunity for him [Charles Leclerc], he has been in the junior programme of the team for a long time, so it is nice to see his progression."
The German also spent a few words on his beloved Kimi Raikkonen, with whom he has been sharing the Ferrari garage since the beginning. "The most important thing is respect between teammates. It is a great chance for Charles but it is sad that Kimi is no longer here, because we get along really well."
Being 30 points behind Lewis Hamilton in the championship, his only focus is centered on the remaining seven races. His teammate does not come first in Vettel's concerns at the moment. Giving a clue on what the intra-teams dynamics will be like next year, he admits things will change but perhaps not to the point that Leclerc will act exactly like Raikkonen does now."There will be different dynamics because everybody is different, but I am sure everybody is willing to help".
It turned out that the two do not have each other's phone numbers, which is why the Monegasque did not get any welcoming message from his future teammate. "Correct, I do not have his phone number, but we would have been busier anyway in these days. If I get to see him, I will find the right words and we will have enough time to exchange phone numbers in the future."
As for the upcoming race here at Marina Bay, Vettel said: "The rythm here is different because we are in Asia but we are keeping European timezones, it is nothing new. I am just making sure I stay well-prepared, well-rested."
"If we are in the position to win, then we want to win." he added.
Back to Monza and the disappointment reel from this summer, Vettel conceded that he is unsatisfied, but he does not hold any particular regrets in hindsight. "I am obviously disappointed, because if you start from the first row and end your race after a couple of corners, but it was a good thing that (with Kimi) we carried on and collected some points."
"Sometimes I am not satisfied, for example in Germany. But it is important that I know what happened and I can explain it. Then everybody is free to have their own opinions and so on. I would have loved to win in Germany, but I am not too bothered. I am usually looking forward to the race, I am not focused on what we could all have done differently."
Vettel certainly cannot afford losing once again to a costly mistake, as he confirmed later on. ”I think the enemy is me, I have a great car and we have the chances to play with it and do it our own way”.
One last word on Leclerc's prowess and talent would suggest that his personal preference would have been Kimi Raikkonen. "If you are fast and talented, age does not matter. You can be fast and talented even when you are old, Kimi is the perfect example."
The German also spent a few words on his beloved Kimi Raikkonen, with whom he has been sharing the Ferrari garage since the beginning. "The most important thing is respect between teammates. It is a great chance for Charles but it is sad that Kimi is no longer here, because we get along really well."
Being 30 points behind Lewis Hamilton in the championship, his only focus is centered on the remaining seven races. His teammate does not come first in Vettel's concerns at the moment. Giving a clue on what the intra-teams dynamics will be like next year, he admits things will change but perhaps not to the point that Leclerc will act exactly like Raikkonen does now."There will be different dynamics because everybody is different, but I am sure everybody is willing to help".
It turned out that the two do not have each other's phone numbers, which is why the Monegasque did not get any welcoming message from his future teammate. "Correct, I do not have his phone number, but we would have been busier anyway in these days. If I get to see him, I will find the right words and we will have enough time to exchange phone numbers in the future."
As for the upcoming race here at Marina Bay, Vettel said: "The rythm here is different because we are in Asia but we are keeping European timezones, it is nothing new. I am just making sure I stay well-prepared, well-rested."
"If we are in the position to win, then we want to win." he added.
Back to Monza and the disappointment reel from this summer, Vettel conceded that he is unsatisfied, but he does not hold any particular regrets in hindsight. "I am obviously disappointed, because if you start from the first row and end your race after a couple of corners, but it was a good thing that (with Kimi) we carried on and collected some points."
"Sometimes I am not satisfied, for example in Germany. But it is important that I know what happened and I can explain it. Then everybody is free to have their own opinions and so on. I would have loved to win in Germany, but I am not too bothered. I am usually looking forward to the race, I am not focused on what we could all have done differently."
Vettel certainly cannot afford losing once again to a costly mistake, as he confirmed later on. ”I think the enemy is me, I have a great car and we have the chances to play with it and do it our own way”.
One last word on Leclerc's prowess and talent would suggest that his personal preference would have been Kimi Raikkonen. "If you are fast and talented, age does not matter. You can be fast and talented even when you are old, Kimi is the perfect example."