Sebastian Vettel will take private lessons in Italian as he gets up to speed with life at Ferrari.

After racing a Red Bull for the last time last Sunday, the German stayed in Abu Dhabi for the post-race test and appeared in the Ferrari garage in plain clothing.

As he is still under contract to the energy drink company for the rest of 2014, Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko said the appearance was "legally not ok but I couldn't care less".

That might be because Red Bull went back on an earlier pledge to Vettel that he be allowed to drive the 2014 Ferrari this week in Abu Dhabi.

"Two weeks ago, everything was clear," Vettel is quoted by Italy's Tuttosport. "Then Adrian Newey said no."

Marko explained to the Swiss newspaper Blick: "When Vettel asked me if he could test the Ferrari in Abu Dhabi, I said ok but that I would have to ask the engineers.

"They (the engineers) all complained!"

Vettel's first lap as a Ferrari driver is now expected to be at Jerez next February, as the 2015 winter tests kick off.

Until then, the quadruple world champion will be taking lessons in Italian, according to the sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Language is very important to me," said the German, "so I want to understand everyone at Ferrari as well as I can."

Vettel already speaks some Italian, after making his F1 debut in 2007 and 2008 with the Faenza based junior Red Bull team Toro Rosso.

(GMM)