Vettel can't wait to hit the track in new SF71H

©Ferrari

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Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was looking quite taken with his shiny new work car when it was unveiled to the media on Thursday in Maranello.

"To stand here now I think is very special for all of us," he told Marc Gene, the team's former test and development driver who was compèring the event.

"We can't wait to get out on track to see how the car performs, how it behaves," Vettel said.

"I think this car is a big step forward from last year, so let's see how it feels," he continued. "That's the answer that we all want to get and we go from there.

Gallery: A detailed look at Ferrari's SF71H

"But for sure, the amount of effort that's gone in - the attention to detail in so many areas that I asked and they explained to me, it's impressive.

"The real magic happens underneath from what you can see. But every little detail matters, every little part can make a difference."

To date, Vettel has only been in the car for a brief seat fitting. As far as such a routine procedure can ever be a sign and portent of things to come, the SF71H came through with flying colours.

"We had a very smooth and easy seat fit, so there were no problems," he said. "I felt comfortable straightaway.

"Minor things obviously change every year," he noted. "The chassis is mostly transparent to last year in terms of regulations. But still the seating position is always a little different. It matters to feel comfortable, which I did."

Seeing the car gleaming under the spotlights on Thursday made Vettel all the more keen to be able to put the SF71H through its paces.

"Now is obviously the time you see the car and it's all ready," he said. "So you want to get in and go out on the track and have a go!"

Vettel was particularly glad that the Ferrari workforce was taking part in the official media launch of the SF71H in Maranello.

"It's very nice [to have everyone here]," he said. "It's a lot of hours, a lot of work that goes in. Not just during the off-season and winter, but even very early last season starting the new project.

"I think what they are waiting for now is for us to say how it feels!" he laughed.

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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.