Mattia Binotto has denied that he is losing control of the situation with Ferrari’s drivers.
Some think the current struggle between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc for number 1 status will ultimately descend into chaos for the Maranello team.
"I don’t think the philosophy they have there is good for a team," Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton said at Suzuka.
But Ferrari team boss Binotto hit back at the notion that the zero-sum quest for number 1 status will ultimately ruin the dynamic between the drivers.
"The situation between the two of them is good," he told Sky Italia.
"I think it’s a very different situation than you read about in the newspapers and on the internet.
"For Charles, Sebastian is a fantastic benchmark as he benefits from his experience. But Charles is also a good benchmark for Sebastian because he is very fast.
"I think it’s a very useful situation for both of them," Binotto added.