Sebastian Vettel says he will “throw myself” into his new Formula 1 project with Aston Martin in order to get up to speed as swiftly as possible.
Vettel will leave Ferrari at the end of a disappointing 2020 campaign, having scored only 18 points, and will link up with the team currently known as Racing Point.
Racing Point has made substantial gains this season and holds fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of Vettel’s Ferrari team, and is only a solitary point behind third-placed Renault.
“Obviously, ‘21 should be similar in terms of the cars to this year,” said Vettel, who has a multi-year deal with Aston Martin.
“But I think it will be a big challenge for me to get on top of everything so come January, February I am going to throw myself into the project and to make sure I have understood all of the things that are there to be understood before the driving, the testing and the racing starts.
“I don’t think there’s one particular thing [to get to known] or one particular person, to be honest.
“I think it will be getting to know the whole team, the rhythm, their working, trying to establish the differences and trying to contribute to make things better.”
Vettel’s move to Aston Martin will conclude a six-year spell with Ferrari in which he has taken 14 wins – the third-most of any driver in the team’s history – and twice finished runner-up in the standings.
“In the end, it’s like a relationship,” he said. “I will miss the people. Obviously, the spirit, the idea, Ferrari, the legend, I’ve obviously been a fan since I was a small child being inspired by Michael [Schumacher].
“But I think when you are part of it and you get to know the people, you get to see behind the scenes, I think it’s going to be the people [that I miss].
“The good news is that I will still see some of them regularly next year even if it’s a different way but still, the people will remain.”
