Ferrari are giving Sebastian Vettel the Michael Schumacher treatment, according to the German's main title rival and defending Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The Briton told reporters after the German handed Ferrari their first Monaco Grand Prix win in 16 years the Italian team was clearly favouring the championship leader over his teammate Kimi Raikkonen.
The 2007 world champion Raikkonen had started on pole position but as a result of strategy ended up anchoring Ferrari's first one-two since 2010 instead of standing on top of the podium.
"It's clear to me that Ferrari have chosen their No.1 driver," said Hamilton, who finished seventh and is now 25 points adrift.
"They are pushing everything to make sure Sebastian will maximise on all of his weekends.
"It's very hard for the leading car to get jumped by the second car unless the team decide to favour the other car, so that is very clear."
Schumacher, the sport's most successful driver who won five of his seven titles with Ferrari from 2000-2004, famously built a team around him and was seen as the clear No.1 at Maranello.
Hamilton had started 13th after a nightmare in qualifying, with the Briton unable to get his car's tyres performing in the requisite window while Ferrari looked suddenly in a league of their own.
Vettel, a four-times world champion and first Ferrari winner in Monaco since Schumacher, has now won three of the six races to Hamilton's two.
Despite the setback, Hamilton saw the glass half full.
"I really am happy," he said.
"Of course ultimately I lost a lot of points today but looking at it as one race, and as a whole today, I came here starting 13th. I could have been in a crash, could have damaged the car, blown an engine, come away with no points.
"I think I managed it nicely and as professionally as I could."
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