Vettel asking Leclerc for 'tips' on Ferrari's 2019 F1 car

Sebastian Vettel says he has been asking new Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc “a lot of questions” about the team’s 2019 Formula 1 car.

The four-time world champion has been partnered at Ferrari by Leclerc following the Monegasque’s stellar debut F1 season with Sauber last year.

Vettel has been left impressed by how quickly Leclerc has adapted to his new environment as both drivers work to understand and improve the Scuderia’s latest challenger, the SF90. 

“We sit right opposite each other and we share the same seat in the car so we are talking quite a lot, about the car’s behaviour, his feedback, my feedback,” Vettel said. 

“We are listening to each other. Everybody surrounding the table is listening so as think as much exchanges as possible. 

Asked if Leclerc has been seeking any tips from the German, Vettel replied: “I’m asking him! 

“I don’t recall every question he’s asked but we’ve talked about the car and our feelings about the front-end, the rear-end and so on. 

“I think there were a lot of questions but not just from his side, also I’ve asked a lot of questions.”

But Vettel does not believe Leclerc’s arrival has resulted in a different dynamic at Ferrari compared to the relationship he had with former teammate Kimi Raikkonen. 

“We are always talking about the same things and trying to find the best balance and pointing out the weaknesses of the car,” he said. 

“I think in this regard it’s been fairly similar. It’s probably a question I can’t answer. Outside it’s difficult to see but from the inside you can see it’s a bit different. 

“Needless to say he’s fast and knows how to drive a car otherwise he wouldn’t be here. 

“I always got along very well with Kimi. I think I have probably spoken more with Charles in the last week than with Kimi up until the Barcelona race!”

Leclerc set the fastest time of pre-season so far on Thursday as Ferrari continued its strong pre-season, which has left rivals Mercedes suggesting the Italian squad is the team to beat heading into the upcoming 2019 season. 

Vettel will return to the Ferrari cockpit on the final day of running on Friday as he looks to bounce back from a big crash earlier this week.