“Arrivabene really has a big heart” – Sebastian Vettel and Mattia Binotto did not get along too well at Ferrari, and unsurprisingly, the former has ignored the latter in his list of people who mattered during his Ferrari stint.
Sebastian Vettel undoubtedly has bittersweet memories from his time at Ferrari. He will go down as one of their most successful drivers, but definitely not the happiest one. But he did get along really well with a few, and he has singled out his track engineer Riccardo Adami and previous team boss Maurizio Arrivabene. Crucially, Mattia Binotto has been omitted from the ‘list’ completely, for the way he was booted out of the team.
“Riccardo from my work group, without doubt.”
“I traveled with him and it was important to have him as a pillar because we already knew each other. He understood me. In terms of track performance, he was the most important person.”
“In a larger picture, however, Maurizio Arrivabene.”
I think that from the outside he was not well understood. It was not easy to work with Marchionnne. He was very particular, he put great pressure on people and with Maurizio, he was not always kind. But I think Arrivabene really has a big heart.”
Sebastian Vettel impressed with Charles Leclerc
The German legend also singled out his teammate Charles Leclerc for praise, calling him a great talent. Vettel sees himself in him, something everyone who follows Ferrari closely can vouch for. Leclerc is one of the most talented racers on the grid currently, and a competitive car by Ferrari could see him become a world champion this decade.
“He is certainly very fast and talented. He is in a different phase of his career. I was able to learn from him too and it was interesting. I could see something of me in him, as I was 10 years ago. He’s a good guy and I can only say good things.”
“For sure, this last year has been difficult for me, there were other issues at stake besides having to drive. But that shouldn’t take away any credit from Charles because everything that is said about him is true – he is strong and mature for his age. He has a bright future ahead of him and will do things right.”
