Does Vettel get 'punishment' from Ferrari? "Leclerc may test, but Vettel may not'

Mattia Binotto may point mainly to Mercedes, but it certainly doesn't seem to calm down at Ferrari. Indeed, several sources now know that Sebastian Vettel is not allowed to test Ferrari.

Is Ferrari punishing Vettel?

Vettel has already announced to leave Ferrari at the end of 2020 and with the season still to begin, that could cause problems on the track if the German doesn't want to keep a team order. Behind the scenes, however, things are rumbling even before the first race, when Vettel had to watch how Charles Leclerc was allowed to test in Fiorano.

For example, in an interview with La Stampa, Binotto said that he ''recently spoke with Vettel about the test for Leclerc in Fiorano''. It immediately caused a lot of speculation. Why shouldn't the German also be allowed to take part in the action, as you can see in the tests of Mercedes, Renault, Racing Point and today also McLaren?

Vettel chooses his own path

However, according to Motorsport-total.com several Italian media report that this is a kind of punishment for Vettel. The Italian team is said to have asked both drivers to surrender part of their salary. Where Leclerc agreed, Vettel has reportedly refused to do so. According to the German Bild, Vettel himself would have spent this money on organisations and areas that help or have been affected by the coronavirus.

At least one thing is clear: Vettel and Ferrari aren't on best terms at the moment. Vettel chooses his own path and Ferrari hangs on to it, consciously or unconsciously. No test for Vettel for the Formula 1 season will start, but a prelude to what we will all see in 2020.