Ferrari shoot down Sebastian Vettel’s conspiracy theory that his team-mate Charles Leclerc has been given a faster car – after the German blamed his decline on the manufacturers as Carlos Sainz gets set to replace him
- Sebastian Vettel finished in tenth place in last weekend’ Portuguese Grand Prix
- Vettel believes that Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc’s car is deliberately faster
- Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto rubbished the 33-year-old German’s theory
- Vettel will compete with Racing Point in 2021 with Carlos Sainz going to Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel‘s conspiracy theory that Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc‘s car is faster than his has been rubbished by team boss Mattia Binotto.
The German has struggled in the current F1 season and only picked up his second points-scoring result in his last six races via a tenth-placed finish at last weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix.
Vettel claimed after the race that he had been ‘biting his tongue’ about the controversy all season, but Binotto claims the 33-year-old should be doing more mid-race to improve his results.
Sebastian Vettel (above) claimed that Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari car is faster than his own
The notion that Leclerc’s is faster was rubbished by Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto (above)
Binotto told Sky Italia: ‘Seb and Charles’ cars are identical, no doubt. I sincerely hope that Sebastian will be able to qualify better in Imola, and show more of what he is capable of during the race.
‘Charles is certainly very good, but maybe you expect even more from the second driver.’
Vettel currently lies in 18th place in the Formula One rankings with 18 points to his name this season, while Leclerc is in fifth on 75 points.
Vettel is currently struggling in the current Formula One season while Leclerc (above) is in fifth
The German has already committed to joining Aston Martin’s Racing Point team in 2021, with Carlos Sainz taking his Ferrari seat upon Vettel’s departure.
After the Portuguese Grand Prix on Sunday, the 33-year-old claimed he was ‘too ambitious and too hungry’ for more success.
The four-time Formula One champion claimed: ‘It is obvious that the other car is much faster. Where (do) I lose time? I have been biting my tongue all year long.
‘Some idiot might never figure it out, but am I a complete idiot? I doubt it.
Vettel (above) managed a tenth-placed finish in this weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix
‘At some point you should be lucky and hit the limit. I never hit it and if I do, then only with a lot of difficulty. On the other side (of the garage) it looks much easier.
‘I have to look at myself and do my thing, but of course it hurts. Especially because my own expectations are higher than the expectations from outside.
‘I don’t really care about all the fuss. But for me in the car, it is of course difficult to process, because I am too ambitious and too hungry for more.’
