"You know the title says already 'Director of Performance' and it's clear about performance. The bit that I enjoy most is obviously the practical part of it, basically testing cars, sitting in the car, getting an idea of the handling, trying to give valuable feedback," said Vettel.
Vettel is evaluating some of the company's advanced technology labs, so he can give advice about vehicle tuning and engineering. And he brought along his own custom-made steering wheel and race seat so Infiniti's human engineering team can perfect cockpit layout and seat comfort.
"He looked at steering wheels, seats and sat in the Q50 and talked about the steering wheel controls and performance," said NTCNA director Mark Snyder. "And two key items, one was the paddle shifters not moving with the steering wheel, so he thinks they should be connected to the wheel. And also the way they form the seat for Formula One drivers could be a way for us to evaluate how to make a seat more comfortable."
Vettel became Infiniti's Director of Performance in April, but his relationship with the premium automotive brand formally started in 2011.
"I don't take myself too seriously in this because obviously I am just trying to give a little bit of help, a little bit of input as does the team, a different perspective, a bit of inspiration to people. We also deal with cars, but it's a very different field, so I think it's quite interesting for people inside here, people inside the brand of Infiniti to sometimes look at things from a different perspective," said Vettel.
Lien You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPrrvrESUsA&feature=player_embedded