Ferrari stands to benefit from a ruthless streak that Sebastian Vettel has in pushing for what he wants, reckons his former Formula 1 team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Vettel opted to leave Red Bull at the end of last season in a bid to find new motivation at Ferrari on the back of a difficult campaign and a strong challenge from Ricciardo.

Having worked closely with the German throughout 2014, Ricciardo believes that Vettel’s unhappiness at not winning will fast track Ferrari’s push up the grid.

“The way he basically brings the people who work with him close to him is impressive,” said Ricciardo. “It’s the way he demands and gets what he wants.

“We [racing drivers] are never happy with our cars and we always want something better from it – and I think the way he approaches that, he is quite ruthless but quite fair at the same time.

“He has a good balance of being serious and looking the team in the eye, and saying I need this. But he earns their respect by acting that way.

“He doesn’t rest. He is not going to be happy being behind, and I think the way he goes about it is pretty good.”

NICE GUYS DON’T ALWAYS WIN

Ricciardo says that he has learned a great deal from the way Vettel approaches his job – because he is not always the nice guy that he has often been portrayed as.

“The message is that the nice guys don’t always win,” said Ricciardo. “They win some times but not always – so there are always times when you need a ruthless streak.

“This year I found a bit of that: still being respectful of people I work with and my environment but I have taken charge of things I want or things I want to believe in.

“You do need this otherwise it is easy to get pushed over, and that is true for any form of sport or life. I think it is important to do everything with respect, be strong and if you believe in something you are better off standing up for it.”

Ricciardo also believes that Vettel will instantly get to grips with what is needed at Ferrari – and will not allow the frustrations of its competitive situation to drag him down.

“I don’t think he is in for a shock, he is in for a change – that is for sure,” explained the Australian. “He has been with Red Bull a lot longer than me, from the junior days, 15 years or something crazy.

“But it is like any change: he will adapt and he will manage. I think the first test will feel weird for him but by Melbourne it will all feel very normal.”