Sebastian Vettel on the comparison between Ferrari’s last two Team Principals, Maurizio Arrivabene and Mattia Binotto. Seb on the comparison between Ferrari's last two Team Principals.

Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel has backed the Italian side’s Team Principal Mattia Binotto despite the lack of results for Ferrari this season. This time 12 months ago, the German was still just about in the title picture with four wins to his name, whereas now he has no wins and sits fourth in the Drivers’ standings, 94 points behind Lewis Hamilton.

The main criticism has been Ferrari’s car philosophy, as a focus on straight-line speed has left them trailing at most circuits, including finishing a minute down in Hungary.

Questions have also been asked of Mattia Binotto who has held both team principal and technical director roles since replacing Maurizio Arrivabene at the start of the year. Asked about the comparison between Maurizio Arrivabene and Mattia Binotto (Ferrari’s last win was under Arrivabene), Sebastian Vettel replied: “I don’t think it’s fair to compare them because every year and every situation is different.”

Sebastian Vettel praises Binotto for staying calm and keeping the team motivated: “The situation wasn’t easy, we didn’t win a race. We are far away from it. We didn’t have the first half of the season we had hoped for. Nevertheless, the whole team stayed focused and calm. Some things don’t happen overnight. But I think we understand pretty well where our car stands. Obviously only the upcoming months will show whether we have chosen the right direction. But I think Mattia is doing very well and keeps everyone together.” – the German driver concluded.