Sebastian Vettel did his first laps as a Scuderia Ferrari driver recently on the Fiorano track in Maranello. The German didn’t drive Ferrari’s current turbocharged V6-powered car, but a V8-powered F2012.
On a damp track, Vettel covered almost 100 laps and got to know the team, the track and the car’s systems. The following day, the driver did simulator work, putting some long sessions of driving on the “virtual” F14 T and getting to know it better before the first real test of Ferrari’s current car.
The former Red Bull driver also met engineer James Allison, with whom he analyzed the data gathered on Saturday and Sunday and put together a working timetable “aimed at bringing Ferrari back up to the required level of performance,” according to the team.
“Obviously it’s been a fantastic day to come here. I remember I’ve been here a long time ago as a little child, driving through Maranello and trying to look over the fence, so to be here officially as part of the team felt fantastic. The possibility to drive the car and get to know the team was a unique experience,” Vettel said.
“You know there are a lot of fairytales about Ferrari and how it feels to drive a red car and in the end I can only confirm these fairytales, it’s not just a story, it’s a true legend that exists and it feels really, really special to become part of that and to be inside the car, to see the people coming, running to the track and trying to climb the walls to see the car,” he added.
Scroll down to see a photo gallery of Vettel’s first day of work at Ferrari and a video featuring highlights of his Fiorano laps.
PHOTOS
