Vettel vows to help Leclerc, but team work 'key' for Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel is expecting an entente cordiale with Charles Leclerc next season at Ferrari, believing the two drivers should work together in the interest of the Scuderia.

Leclerc's past credentials and a highly impressive maiden F1 season with Ferrari will propel the Monegasque to the next level in 2019 as he moves to the House of Maranello.

Leclerc will take over from Kimi Raikkonen, with whom Vettel has enjoyed a good working relationship since joining Ferrari in 2015.

And the German hopes he'll be able to pick up with his team's new recruit where he'll leave off with the Finn.

"It’s going to be different for sure, because Charles is not Kimi and Kimi is not Charles," Vettel explained in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com.

"He 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."

• Leclerc well prepared by Ferrari for life in the fast lane

Vettel has no doubts about Leclerc's burning ambition, especially as the 21-year-old has already declared that he'll be fighting for race wins at the outset.

But the four-time world champion wants first and foremost for the pair to be aligned with Ferrari's interests, including when it comes to lending the new recruit a helping hand.

"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 things going on in his head.

"I am his teammate, so I am also here to help. I am the last one that is trying to hide or playing 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."

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