Sebastian Vettel says there is “no discussion” about Kimi Räikkönen’s “talent or his speed”, in the wake of Ferrari’s decision to retain the Finn for 2018.
Ferrari announced on Tuesday that Räikkönen will remain with the squad for another season, his fifth year in his second spell, and eighth overall.
On Räikkönen’s renewal, Vettel said: “If he's happy, I'm happy! I think it's the other way around as well.
“Obviously he's had a troubled start to the season. The last couple of races have been a bit better.
“There's no discussion about his talent or his speed. It's nice to see that the team appreciates the work he is doing behind the scenes.
“As I said, it's quite straightforward to work with him. I think everybody who knows him knows he's quite straightforward in this regard.
“He's a good match, and obviously great to continue like that.”
Vettel is in the final season of a three-year deal with Ferrari and has previously insisted that he is in no hurry to resolve his 2018 plans.
Speaking on Thursday, Vettel said: “Now we're here, there's no news yet.
“The main focus now is not to focus on news, the main focus is to focus on the race.
“And that will be the same next week. So I don't expect news in the next two weeks to be honest.”