Helmut Marko says Sebastian Vettel is already back to his old self following his move to Ferrari.

Vettel left Red Bull - where he had come through the young driver program and became four-time world champion - at the end of 2014 to replace Fernando Alonso at Ferrari. Team principal Christian Horner said at the time of Vettel’s departure that he felt the German needed a new challenge, and Marko says he has already noticed a difference in the driver he helped nurture in to a world champion.

“He's in a good mood,” Marko told Bild. “He’s sending me naughty and funny text messages. Now he is back to the old Sebastian.”

Vettel topped the times on both of his days in the Ferrari SF15-T at the first pre-season test at Jerez, saying he was encouraged by the platform the team has to build from ahead of the 2015 season.

The second test takes place from February 19-22 and the final test from February 26-March 2, both at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.

Click here for the full gallery of the first photos of the SF15-T

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Lawrence Stroll urges ‘patience’ as Aston Martin begins Honda era

Aston Martin F1’s future may be dressed in racing green, but its ambitions are painted…

3 hours ago

Verstappen’s striking claim: ‘We’re all finding illegal performance’

The 2025 Formula 1 season ended with a cinematic flourish at Yas Marina, as Lando…

5 hours ago

Why Mercedes has a hidden weapon in F1 for 2026

Mercedes isn’t just gearing up for Formula 1’s new era, they may be preparing to…

6 hours ago

Happy 'Bert Day' to F1i founder Bertrand Gachot

Today, we at F1i.com raise a celebratory glass to our esteemed founder, Bertrand Gachot, who…

8 hours ago

Chris Rea - A life driven by passion

Legendary British songwriter and singer Chris Rea passed away on Sunday at the age of…

9 hours ago

Villeneuve: Hadjar the right fit alongside Verstappen - ‘It works well’

Jacques Villeneuve has seen enough rising stars – and enough false dawns – to know…

10 hours ago