#1 BECOMES #2
Binotto was clear at the launch of Ferrari’s 2019 challenge that Vettel would remain the focal point of the team while Leclerc found his feet at Maranello. What Binotto could not have known was just how quickly Leclerc would find that footing. From the very first race in Australia Ferrari was using team orders to hold Leclerc back. In Bahrain, only his second race with the team, Leclerc defied Ferrari’s instructions by overtaking Vettel and racing on to what would have been a dazzling maiden F1 victory but for a freak engine malfunction.
Had Leclerc also not crashed in Baku qualifying, been let down by the team in Q1 in Monaco, and been a bit more robust himself in battle with Verstappen in Austria, he would likely have entered the August summer break a three-time race winner. Vettel’s only real highlight was ‘winning’ the Canadian GP on the road – indeed, in his own mind he remains its moral victor to this day – but he was penalised for re-joining the circuit unsafely after going off under pressure rom Hamilton, yet another sign of apparent frailty in battle.
After the summer break, Leclerc went on the attack. Ferrari’s increased engine advantage was causing rumblings in the paddock, while Leclerc was also increasingly rattling Vettel’s cage. Seb played the dutiful team game to support Leclerc’s successful victory bid at Spa, but come Monza Leclerc went selfish, denying Vettel a pre-agreed tow in Q3 and grabbing pole position for himself. Leclerc’s battling victory over Lewis and Valtteri Bottas in the race absolved him with Ferrari, but not with Vettel, who spun off, drove into Lance Stroll and fumed.
Despite public utterances of unity, and a gift of victory to Seb at Leclerc’s expense in Singapore, the thread binding Vettel to this team further unravelled as the season wound down. Pole in Japan was a rare glimpse of Vettel’s former glory, but he ignored team orders in Russia and collided with Leclerc rather than be overtaken in Brazil, the season’s penultimate race.
This was perhaps finally the point of no return. Although Vettel and Ferrari began 2020 talking of renewing vows, they eventually filed for divorce instead, and soon the dream will be dead for good.