Test in Fiorano for Ferrari Driver Academy participants

It was a test day yesterday in Fiorano for the young drivers of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Jules Bianchi, Mirko Bortolotti and Daniel Zampieri, who went onto the track with a F2008 from the F1 Clienti department.

Luca Baldisserri, Head of the project, explained how this was a very intense week on and off the track: ”Today was the first of five tests this year. It’s about physical and mental training, but we also made a physical check-up to check the drivers health and their training level. Wednesday we started working on the track with Raffaele Marciello driving in Fiorano with a Formula Abarth single-seater. Today’s test was very intense, because three drivers took turns behind the wheel of a F1 single-seater. We’re very satisfied, because we could see their first impressions and it was very interesting to see how young men, without real experience in F1 were doing with high-performance cars. The drivers gave it their all, but also had fun”.

There will be a coaching session soon to teach the young drivers about the team spirit and the importance about being part of a team. The enthusiasm and the pride to be part of the first Scuderia Ferrari "school" connects the three young talents. Jules Bianchi, winner of the 2009 Drivers’ and Teams’ titles in the Formula 3 Euroseries, had his debut behind the wheel of a F60 during the recent tests in Jerez, commenting his experiences after driving the F2008: ”Since Jerez I gained lots of confidence with the car. Today it was about going to the limit”.

Bianchi underlined some importance: ”The collaboration with the Academy’s technicians, I’ve been working with to improve my performance”.

Thanks to this experience, Bianchi, who raced at the GP2 Asia in Bahrain, will benefit also in terms of experience with the Art Team, he’s racing with in the GP2 Series: ”I can improve and the Main Series is a great opportunity for me, I’ll start more conscious thanks to the relation I have with the Academy’s engineers”.

Mirko Bortolotti went back onto the track after the test in Fiorano in November 2008: “It’s always a great feeling. It was a special experience back then and it was today. It was always my dream to drive a Ferrari with such a team. Every driver wants that. I’m satisfied and honoured to have this opportunity. My dream is to race in F1 one day and there is no better training than this. I want to use every single mile to learn, to improve and to become part of the team, with these extremely competent technicians”.

Daniel Zampieri, 2009 Italian Formula 3 Champion, was equally enthusiastic: ”Participating in the Ferrari Academy is a goal of every driver, especially the Italians. This opportunity confirms that I’m heading in the right direction. I’ll give it my all to fulfil the hopes”. This year he’ll race in the World Series, but his dream is F1 and Ferrari: ”I watched the Bahrain GP and naturally I shouted for Ferrari”.