Michael Schumacher was "absolutely right" to have urged Ferrari to sign up Sebastian Vettel for the future, according to Jock Clear.

Well-known F1 engineer Clear has returned from a year of gardening leave to take up a leading position at Ferrari, where Vettel is now regarded as the Maranello's great hope of reviving the Schumacher-esque glory days.

Clear knows Schumacher well, having worked with him at Mercedes until the German's second and final retirement from the sport.

"Michael Schumacher always boasted about Sebastian," the Briton is quoted as saying by Speed Week. "And he was absolutely right.

"Now that I work with Sebastian at Ferrari, I can confirm that nothing Michael had said about him was exaggerated.

"It is especially his incredible loyalty to detail that Vettel has that brings the best out of all the staff and drives the team forward. His contribution is invaluable, and the nature of his work is precisely the difference between a four-time world champion and other drivers in the pitlane."

Vettel finished third in the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, behind the Mercedes pair of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.