Driver situation 'good' for Vettel and Leclerc

Mattia Binotto

(GMM) Mattia Binotto has denied that he is losing control of the situation with Ferrari's drivers.

Some think the current struggle between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc for number 1 status will ultimately descend into chaos for the Maranello team.

"I don't think the philosophy they have there is good for a team," Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton said at Suzuka.

But Ferrari team boss Binotto hit back at the notion that the zero-sum quest for number 1 status will ultimately ruin the dynamic between the drivers.

"The situation between the two of them is good," he told Sky Italia.

"I think it's a very different situation than you read about in the newspapers and on the internet.

"For Charles, Sebastian is a fantastic benchmark as he benefits from his experience. But Charles is also a good benchmark for Sebastian because he is very fast.

"I think it's a very useful situation for both of them," Binotto added.