Method for driving a vacuum pump with a vacuum pump drive comprising at least one electric motor connected with the rotor of a vacuum pump via a drive shaft, a frequency converter electrically connected with the motor and supplying the same with a motor input voltage, a switchover means with at least one electric switch (24, 26), the switchover means being configured to connect the motor windings in dependence on the switching position of the switch (24, 26) in a star connection or a delta connection in order to change the motor characteristic, a measuring device with sensors for the detection of physical operating parameters of the vacuum pump, and a control means electrically or optically connected with the switchover means and the measuring device and configured to actuate the at least one switch (24, 26) in dependence on the measured value of the operating parameter of the vacuum pump, so as to effect the star-delta switchover, the method comprising the steps of: driving the drive shaft of the vacuum pump rotor by the electric motor, supplying a motor input voltage to the electric motor by the frequency converter, detecting, by the sensors of the measuring device, at least one physical operating parameter of the vacuum pump, and actuating, by the control means, the at least one switch (24, 26) of the switchover means in dependence on the measured value of the operating parameter so that the motor windings of the electric motor are connected in a star or a delta connection depending on the switching position of the switch (24, 26), so as to thereby change the motor characteristic, characterized in that the operating parameter is the gas composition in the pump. comprising at least one electric motor connected with the rotor of a vacuum pump via a drive shaft, a frequency converter electrically connected with the motor and supplying the same with a motor input voltage, a switchover means with at least one electric switch (24, 26), the switchover means being configured to connect the motor windings in dependence on the switching position of the switch (24, 26) in a star connection or a delta connection in order to change the motor characteristic, a measuring device with sensors for the detection of physical operating parameters of the vacuum pump, and a control means electrically or optically connected with the switchover means and the measuring device and configured to actuate the at least one switch (24, 26) in dependence on the measured value of the operating parameter of the vacuum pump, so as to effect the star-delta switchover, at least one electric motor connected with the rotor of a vacuum pump via a drive shaft, a frequency converter electrically connected with the motor and supplying the same with a motor input voltage, a switchover means with at least one electric switch (24, 26), the switchover means being configured to connect the motor windings in dependence on the switching position of the switch (24, 26) in a star connection or a delta connection in order to change the motor characteristic, a measuring device with sensors for the detection of physical operating parameters of the vacuum pump, and a control means electrically or optically connected with the switchover means and the measuring device and configured to actuate the at least one switch (24, 26) in dependence on the measured value of the operating parameter of the vacuum pump, so as to effect the star-delta switchover, the method comprising the steps of: driving the drive shaft of the vacuum pump rotor by the electric motor, supplying a motor input voltage to the electric motor by the frequency converter, detecting, by the sensors of the measuring device, at least one physical operating parameter of the vacuum pump, and actuating, by the control means, the at least one switch (24, 26) of the switchover means in dependence on the measured value of the operating parameter so that the motor windings of the electric motor are connected in a star or a delta connection depending on the switching position of the switch (24, 26), so as to thereby change the motor characteristic, characterized in that the operating parameter is the gas composition in the pump. driving the drive shaft of the vacuum pump rotor by the electric motor, supplying a motor input voltage to the electric motor by the frequency converter, detecting, by the sensors of the measuring device, at least one physical operating parameter of the vacuum pump, and actuating, by the control means, the at least one switch (24, 26) of the switchover means in dependence on the measured value of the operating parameter so that the motor windings of the electric motor are connected in a star or a delta connection depending on the switching position of the switch (24, 26), so as to thereby change the motor characteristic, characterized in that the operating parameter is the gas composition in the pump.