F2 boss confirms no Ferrari test for Schumacher

Michael Schumacher’s Formula 2 boss has confirmed reports the young German will not be testing for Ferrari next month.

We reported earlier that, after the son of Michael Schumacher drove the Ferrari for the first time in Bahrain, he will not get the same chance in the post-Spanish GP test.

Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Ferrari will be running a second test car in Barcelona for Pirelli, but it will be driven by Antonio Fuoco.

"For Maranello, it is a way to protect him (Schumacher) from media pressure," said correspondent Andrea Cremonesi.

Rene Rosin, who runs Schumacher’s F2 team Prema, said in Baku: "It is right that Mick remains focused on his work in Formula 2."

One interpretation might be that Schumacher did not get a second Ferrari test because of his results in his F2 debut recently.

But Rosin insisted: "His debut was in line with what we expected.

"These first races are difficult. The trouble with F2 is there is not much time to practice. You go into qualifying without testing the soft tyres and have a maximum of two laps before they degrade," he added.

"This is also a category full of veterans who have been there for 3 or 4 years who know what they are doing," Rosin said in Baku.