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It would be wrong to expect immediate results - Vettel

Sebastian Vettel has warned against expecting too much from Ferrari this year but is hoping his new team will close the gap to the front over the course of the season.

Vettel joins Ferrari at a time of change as new management takes over following a year of bloodletting at the top of the team. The new SF15-T was launched on Friday which Ferrari is confident is a step forward, but after the team struggled to fourth in the championship last year Vettel has warned against expecting too much early in the season.

"I think there is a lot of change going on and new people in new positions, including myself, and it always takes a bit of time to settle in before you really start to make proper progress," he said. "I'm confident we are going in the right direction, but it would be wrong to immediately expect a lot of us.

"You need to remember we are coming from a 2014 season where there was one team [Mercedes] that was very dominant, so it will be a difficult to be right there from the beginning. For us the main target will be to start to really work together and make progress to catch up more and more as the season progresses."

Vettel said he had been excited to see the new car come together.

"Obviously it's a change in colour for me and a new experience, but I think the car looks beautiful and to see how it comes together is something special. Every year you start to see the first bits but then to see it all assembled is always something special. I can't wait to go on track and see how it is."

He said he is looking forward to getting his Ferrari career underway in testing next week and Melbourne in March.

"The first time I arrived last year and had the chance to test the car from 2012 was something magical and really special. To now get going and start the season properly will be something special and when the flag drops and we get going in Melbourne it will again be a very special thing to do my first race with Ferrari. Everything is red and it's a special colour because it means so much history. I'm very much looking forward to it."

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