New Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc says he hasn’t joined the team to play number two to Sebastian Vettel.

The 20-year-old said his contract does not tie him to a support role. However Leclerc said it is normal for teams to require one driver to help the other depending how the championship goes.

“I think it’s more or less like this in every team: you have two drivers that start the season on equal status and then at one point in the season obviously you see some team orders because obviously only one driver is playing the championship and the other is not.

“I think this is normal, in every team it’s happening. But yeah I believe they will let us race at the beginning of the season.”

Leclerc says he only knows Vettel “a little bit” but revealed his future team mate had been supportive earlier in his career.

“He has always been very nice to me,” said Leclerc. “Every time I was going a good job in the simulator, once I was in Formula Two, he would always send a text and that was great. And it will be even better to work with him, for sure I have a lot to learn from him.”

Despite gaining a promotion to Ferrari in only his second season of F1, Leclerc expects to be a championship contender immediately if the car is quick enough.

“It is difficult to speak now but my target is to do the best chance possible with the car I will have,” he said.

“This year they have a car to win the title and if next year is the same obviously it will be then to win the title which is definitely a big thing but I will have to grow a lot as a driver. It will be to take the best result possible.”

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2018 F1 season