'Leclerc is not being favoured, only Red Bull does that with Verstappen'

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur insists that driver Charles Leclerc is not preferred to Carlos Sainz. In recent races, Leclerc seemed to be favoured over Sainz, who had to swallow tactical choices that were to his disadvantage but should actually help his Monegasque teammate. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Vasseur denied a favourite role for any of his pupils.

"No, no. Do not put [Helmut] Marko's words in my mouth!" Vasseur responded when confronted with the question of whether Leclerc is currently being favoured. "I have never, but really never, said anything like that or done anything along those lines." According to the Frenchman, it makes sense for a driver to be favoured at a certain point if he has a clear lead in the championship, but that was not yet the case in Hungary, Vasseur says.

'Only Red Bull does that'

The Ferrari team boss draws a comparison with Red Bull. "Leclerc is not favoured. I started this job once 20 years ago with the idea that both drivers deserve the same treatment. I am not going to change that now. At all teams, both drivers are equal, except at Red Bull, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez."