Maldonado predicting driver trouble at Ferrari

What happens if Vettel beats Leclerc? Or will Ferrari turn down his engine HP from the pitbox to ensure Leclerc is faster?

(GMM) Former F1 driver Pastor Maldonado is expecting trouble at Ferrari in 2020.

The Italian team and Sebastian Vettel have announced their split – but that will only take effect from the 2021 season.

It means that the tension seen between teammates Vettel and Charles Leclerc could even intensify once the racing finally kicks off this season.

"Both the drivers already had problems with each other last year," Maldonado, who drove for Williams and Lotus and even won a race in 2012, told Marca.

"Who can guarantee that this will not happen again this year if Vettel already knows that he is leaving?" the Venezuelan added. "When you've already made such an announcement, how are you going to race?

"Will Vettel listen to team orders? We don't know so I don't either," said the 35-year-old.

"It could be a huge weakness of the team, as it was last year. When the season starts I think it could be a difficult situation for the boss of the team and the drivers."

Fascinatingly, Maldonado claims that he once had talks about joining Ferrari.

"We started talking to other teams and one of them was Ferrari," he told Motorbox.

"We talked for a long time but there was a big change in Maranello. Montezemolo and then Stefano Domenicali, who were the leaders, left and when the new bosses arrived they were a bit lost and everything stopped."