Arrivabene: We have seen that the real Vettel is back

While fireworks are expected from the pairing next year, team chief Maurizio Arrivabene is adamant that their star driver is back to his best again, he told Sky Italia, "In the last few races we have seen that the real Vettel is back."

"Every human being goes through ups and downs and it's useless to point fingers at an individual. We all expected more from ourselves in 2018. You win and lose together. We made progress, but in the end we lost."

"We take second and third in the Drivers' Championship, but in Formula 1 only the winner counts. But second and third is better than fourth or fifth.”

Ferrari and the German started the season winning the first two races and seemed to have the measure of Mercedes.

After the 'horror' of Hockenheim, a win at Spa after the summer break was a false boost for the Reds as thereafter Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton ramped up their efforts, delivering a crushing blow with victory at Monza which triggered a streak of four wins in a row and seal the deal with two races still to go.

Vettel himself has held up his hand and taken on some of the blame for another season as also-rans, “I think I need some time for myself. I think it has been a quite difficult and exhausting year for me. I definitely need a bit of a gap.

"I think I know what I need to do. Certainly, here and there, looking back I haven't been at the top of my game. I look at myself first, I think I can be better than I was at times this year," added Vettel who finished second in the championship, but had to concede title defeat to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton after Mexico.

The first 'unofficial' head-to-head between Vettel and Leclerc took place during Pirelli testing, the older driver quickest on Tuesday and the Monegasque topping the timesheets a day later, the youngster's best time three tenths up on his teammate.

Of course, there is nothing to read in times set on different days in testing by the Ferrari duo. What settings were they running? What mode? What fuel load? etc etc.

Whatever the case young Charles will be heading back home to Monaco with a spring in his step, knowing he was fastest of all in testing ahead of his season with Ferrari, which he might not have had if he finished the season second fastest.

Race drivers' rule number one: Always beat your teammate...

Interestingly, La Gazzetta dello Sport correspondent Luigi Perna wrote at the end of the two Pirelli test days at Yas Marina, “Confidential sources have told me that Leclerc was faster in some cases than Vettel in the same conditions in testing.”

The stage is set, get the popcorn! The real Vettel might be back, but Charles Leclerc has already signalled his intent.