Ferrari's former president says he hopes the Maranello team is treating Sebastian Vettel fairly in 2020.

Unlike some others, Luca di Montezemolo does not think the driver he selected to replace Fernando Alonso from 2015 will leave Ferrari before the end of the year.

"It is a very delicate moment for him," the Italian said, "but Ferrari needs him, needs his points, needs Sebastian.

"I hope everyone on the team will help him, because he's a champion."

Montezemolo, who was ousted as president in 2014, has criticised the way Ferrari announced its 2021 lineup - with Carlos Sainz to replace Vettel - so far ahead of time.

It has clearly ramped up the tension to the point that Vettel at Silverstone answered "I don't know" when asked if he thinks his car is the same as Charles Leclerc's.

"I really don't know how everything is being handled at the moment," Montezemolo told RTL.

"I hope that both drivers will be treated equally," he added. "I don't see any reason to do it any other way.

"But again, I don't know, I'm really out of it with current events at Ferrari. If you go to the Ferrari museum, you will hardly see a photo of me."