Sebastian Vettel believes there should be “no rush” in promoting Charles Leclerc to Ferrari as soon as 2019.
A series of strong performances by the Monegasque, scoring points in five of the last seven races, has led to speculation the Scuderia is seriously considering jumping the rookie straight into the seat alongside the four-time world champion.
However, Vettel is thought to be one of the key people to give the green light to such a decision and the German doesn’t seem as keen to have the 20-year-old as his teammate.
“I think Charles, one way or the other, will have a great career. He is a great guy, he is fast and has everything,” he told reporters at Hockenheim on Thursday.
“He has no rush. He is young, but if you are young you are always in a rush with everything!
“I don’t know when or what and ultimately who [my teammate will be]. But…it doesn’t really matter to me,” Sebastian added.
“For me it is clear where I am next year but I think both of them would suit into the team.”
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Those final comments don’t detract from the obvious point that Vettel is more than willing to maintain the relationship he has with his current partner, Kimi Raikkonen, for another year.
“I would be happy to continue like that but it is not for me to mention, or to decide,” he claimed.
“I like Kimi. We get along, and we have never had any issues. Sometimes on track I remember I drove into him and crashed into him, but the way we handle things is very similar and very straightforward.”
As for Leclerc himself, he continues to remain uninterested in the speculation, at least publicly.
“I don’t think it’s any good to distract myself with what could possibly happen next year,” said the current Sauber driver.
“I think it’s important I stay focused on the job I have to do now. Hopefully I keep doing a good job with the team. And then we’ll see.”
