Ferrari shakes up race crews - Clear to oversee Leclerc

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Mattia Binotto's first major move since taking the helm of Ferrari earlier this year has been to shake up the respective race crews associated with the Scuderia's drivers.

Reports from Italy claim that Sebastian Vettel's entire team has been moved to the other side of the garage to support new recruit Charles Leclerc.

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The Monegasque will be overseen, as expected, by Ferrari senior performance engineer Jock Clear, a man whose vast experience - he guided Jacques Villeneuve to the Canadian's world title in 1997 before working later with Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes - will prove very helpful to the 21-year-old.

Vettel however will retain race engineer Riccardo Adamo whom the German has been working with at the Scuderia since 2015, as well as the power unit engineering crew attached to the #5 Ferrari.

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Swapping race crews isn't unusual for a front-running team, and indeed Mercedes have rotated teams of engineers and mechanics between its drivers in the recent past.

Furthermore, former FIA safety and deputy race director Laurent Mekies, who began his duties as Ferrari's sporting director in Abu Dhabi last year, has been entrusted with interpreting and handling sporting and technical regulations, a task obviously right up his alley.

Ferrari will roll out its 2019 car at Maranello on Friday.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.