Andretti: Vettel is good for Ferrari, not sure about Leclerc

Mario Andretti, Formula 1 legend and a winner for Ferrari, backs Vettel to lead the team into the new era under Binotto while questioning the promotion of young Charles Leclerc.

Speaking to Sky Italia, Andretti said of Vettel, "He is absolutely the right man for Ferrari. I remember in his first year with Red Bull, I asked him what were his ambitions for the future and he immediately replied: Drive for Ferrari!"

"He is the right driver for the job. I think it's hard to say who between Hamilton and Vettel is better because they drive different cars, but they're both good guys."

"The Leclerc-Vettel pairing seems correct, the alternative would have been to continue with Kimi [Raikkonen] because he and Sebastian got along very well. But we will see."

"Leclerc seems to be very good and being young means he has a good future ahead of him. It was [Sergio] Marchionne's idea to promote him but I don't know if this is the right moment for Leclerc."

"With two drivers in a team there must be a number one and a number two, having two number ones never works," insisted Andretti.

He should know as he won the 1978 Formula 1 World Championship thanks to an agreement whereby, his teammate that year, Ronnie Peterson was not allowed to challenge the American despite the Swede on many occasions being the faster driver.

At the time Lotus boss Colin Chapman saw to it that Peterson - a true legend in his own right - obliged and did so with grace and sportsmanship that no longer exists in modern pro sports. Different times.

Indeed Andretti's great success in F1 came when he drove for Lotus team in the late seventies. During his illustrious career, he also drove 12 times for Ferrari famously winning on his debut with the Italian team at the 1971 South African Grand Prix.

With regards to the latest upheaval at Maranello - four team bosses in five years - Andretti admitted, "It doesn't surprise me so much because there has always been a policy there: if they don't win, someone has to leave. We saw what happened to Stefano Domenicali, who was great there... the team principal is always to blame."

As the sport's most oldest and successful team, Ferrari are Formula 1's biggest asset. With an army of supporters, the People's Team and their fortunes determine how many eyeballs watch the sport on TV.

Since their last title back in 2008 (constructors champions) the Reds have come close, particularly last year until things imploded within the team and now, in retrospect, their campaign nose-dived amid a full-on civil war at Maranello.

Andretti concluded, "Ferrari must always be at the top because this serves to keep interest alive. Nobody works harder than Ferrari, because there you breathe and you live for Formula 1."