Vasseur: Ferrari is a big leap for Leclerc

Mentored and backed by the Maranello outfit since his junior years, Leclerc ticks all the boxes: young, fast, clever and delivers.

However, Ferrari traditionally do not hire young drivers with little experience. But a new dawn beckons for the Reds in the aftermath of Sergio Marchionne's unexpected death.

There is a whole new leadership in place with 42-year-old Agnelli heir John Elkann chairman in charge and ultimately it will be he calling the shots. His vision for the team is unknown at this point.

Despite the hype and guesswork, the smart money would be on Raikkonen staying another year with the Italian team and Leclerc continuing with Sauber for another season.

Vasseur told La Derniere Heure, "Moving from Sauber to Ferrari is a big step for a driver. We cannot predict what will happen, especially when it comes to drivers getting good money."

"In the last 20 years, there have been plenty of drivers who did very good first seasons in F1, I will not reveal names but as soon as they banked their first cheque they hit trouble."

"They lost their roots because they discovered new things in life and lost track a little bit of what they were supposed to be doing. So we cannot anticipate. That's why Ferrari is a big leap for Charles."

"And it's why Ferrari has always hesitated to take very young drivers. They know very well the pressure that is in their system. But I'm not too worried about Charles," added Vasseur.