Vettel: Driving for Ferrari, a “fairytale”
Sebastian Vettel reflected on his first day as a Ferrari driver, taking the wheel of a red single-seater.
Saturday, November 29, 2014. This date marked the beginning of the official collaboration between Sebastian Vettel and Scuderia Ferrari.
This union, sealed at the end of the season, began under the gray skies of the Fiorano circuit, this Saturday, at the wheel of the F2012. The German has learned to get to know his new environment and the procedures of the Scuderia.
Arriving at the factory on Friday, he drove on Saturday, spent a whole day in the simulator on Sunday, and met Ferrari’s top management – Sergio Marchionne, its chairman, Maurizio Arrivabene, its team director, and James Allison, its technical director – on Monday.
When asked about his first outing in red, the four-time world champion was particularly happy: « There are a lot of fairy tales about Ferrari and how it feels when you drive a red car. In the end, I can only confirm that it is a fairy tale. It’s not just a story; it’s a real legend. »
« And it’s really, really special to become a part of that and to be in the car, to see people come, run around the track, and try to climb the walls to see the car. There’s definitely something very magical, and what happened [Saturday] I will never forget, » he explained, as reported by Autosport.
He remembered being younger and coming to the same place to try to catch a glimpse of Michael Schumacher: « I remember coming here a very, very long time ago when I was little, we would drive around Maranello and try to see over the barriers. So, being officially part of the team, it’s fantastic to have the opportunity to drive the car and get to know the team. It was a unique experience. Obviously, it’s a very different color for me. Everyone is dressed in red, everything is red, but it’s really special and I’m really looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead in the coming years. »
