As we know, Sebastian Vettel has swapped his Redbull colours for Rosso Corsa and will drive for Ferrari from the 2015 Formula One season. The company has just released a video of his debut drive in a Ferrari F1 car.
Vettel was unable to compete in the post-season testing in Abu Dhabi last week due to a conflict in his Red Bull contract, but has since completed more than 100 laps in a 2012 F1 car. In addition to this, Vettel has spent hours in the F1 simulator in preparation for the season opener in Melbourne.
Vettel likened his first experience in the prancing horse to a “fairytale” adding that the allure of following in the footsteps of his idol, Michael Schumacher, is another career goal that wasn’t possible while racing for Red Bull. Vettel will bring over 7000 laps, 139 races and 39 victories-worth of experience to Ferrari Scuderia. Vettel says,
“There are a lot of fairy tales about Ferrari and how it feels to drive a red car. 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.”
The German four-time world champion signed a three-year contract with Ferrari, joining the prolific Finnish driver Kimi Räikkönen who brings the tally to five championships between the two drivers. The team’s new dynamic is sure to make for an interesting 2015 season, with both Vettel and Räikkönen proving themselves as highly competitive racers. The German had a robust rivalry with Australian driver Mark Webber, with team politics and collisions costing both drivers points and wins in past seasons.
Vettel booted Fernando Alonso from the Scuderia cockpit, who is now rumored to be next in line to take either Kevin Magnussen or Jenson Button’s place at McLaren.
“There is definitely something very magical and something that happened today which I will never forget. I remember I was here a long, 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, it felt fantastic to have the possibility to drive the car, and get to know the team. It was a unique experience.”
