Vettel highlights 'key' to work well with Leclerc

Sebastian Vettel says that it is very important that he and Charles Leclerc work well together at Ferrari next season. Leclerc will join the Scuderia outfit despite 2019 being only his second season in the sport.

The Monegasque driver will replace Kimi Raikkonen, who has partnered Vettel at the team since 2015. Vettel and Raikkonen have enjoyed a strong relationship, with both mentioning on occasion the ease and no tension connection the two have.

Vettel's title challenge fell away in the second half of the season and he was forced to watch rival Lewis Hamilton wrap up his fifth championship last time out in Mexico. Ferrari is still in the constructor's standings fight, but are second favourites to Mercedes.

"It's going to be different, for sure, because Charles is not Kimi and Kimi is not Charles," Vettel told Autosport. "He (Leclerc) is young, so he will have a lot on his head and a lot of things in his mind. So I think for the team, we need to work together on track.

"I am sure he wants to beat me, (and) I want to beat him, the rules are clear. It was the same with Kimi. But I think the key is that we work together and, as I said, he will have a lot of things going on in his head.

"I am his team-mate, so I am also here to help. I am the last one that is trying to hide or play any games or anything like that. That is why I think I get along very well with Kimi, because in this regard we are very similar. So, we will see."