Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto claims Charles Leclerc has already proven why it was right to promote him for 2019.
With most expecting him to shine at the Scuderia, the Monegasque appears to have settled in very quickly as a race driver for the Italian team with a strong pre-season performance.
Leclerc would match teammate Sebastian Vettel pretty much throughout with his best time only 0.01s behind the German, creating the tantalising prospect of what awaits when the racing gets underway.
“Charles is a good driver, certainly a very fast driver,” Binotto stated and was quoted by PlanetF1.
“I think that in Barcelona he focused on himself, understanding the car, working with a new team, new engineers, and a lot of the things.
“More important for us is to understand the car; they’ve [Vettel and Leclerc] done very similar lap times.
“I think that proves that Charles is certainly a fast driver, but we knew it since the past because of the many years he’s spent with Ferrari.”
Also Read:
- Brawn warns friendly Vettel/Leclerc partnership could change
- Binotto clarifies Vettel/Leclerc guidelines to begin 2019 season
- Leclerc: Results will come if I prioritise personal progress
Some had wondered how Leclerc might cope with racing for F1’s biggest team and whether, at 21, he was ready, but Binotto believes that was never a concern.
“He spent last year with Alfa Romeo/Sauber, so nothing with Charles is a surprise in that respect. It’s not the testing in Barcelona that is telling us that that was the right choice.
“It was simply the right choice. But the season will tell us a bit more.”
