Ferrari began its private tests at its track in Fiorano, Italy, on Wednesday, 24 hours after its scheduled start. The delay was motivated by doubts on the legality of their chosen testing model, the SF21 of 2021 considering the FIA establishes the use of a four-year or older vehicle for this type of exercise. In the end, La Scuderia decided to replace that model with the 2018 SF71H. Following that last-minute decision, Robert Schwartzman was the man in charge of opening the testing sessions on Wednesday. 

On Thursday, after the Russian test driver, who will also be closing the programme on Friday, it was the turn of official drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, to finally sit behind the wheel of the single-seater after the long winter break. The Spaniard was the first running amidst a cold and cloudy morning session. 

Incidentally, he used the same racing car with which he debuted his red overalls a year ago, at this very same track. The man from Madrid has completed a total of 59 laps, approximately 176 km. His partner Charles Leclerc took over from him in the afternoon session completing a total of 48 laps and some 143 km at the controls of the Prancing Horse rocket, at the transalpine circuit. 

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As is often the case with these types of exercises, no clock was set…or at least this information has not been made public. The initial testing programme is not looking to set times or achieve a certain speed but aims at warming up the sensations behind the wheel after a prolonged period of inactivity. The search for maximum performance will arrive when the drivers get into their 2022 World Championship car. 

The new model, which still does not have a name, will be unveiled on February 17 and only five days later it will take its first steps at the inaugural pre-season tests, which are scheduled to take place from February 23 to 25 at the Barcelona Circuit. It will be here that the team starts collecting data and gathering their first impressions on their ‘new baby’. 

The official tests will take place in Bahrain two weeks after that. It is at that point that teams will be fine-tuning their weapons in search of those tenths of a second that separate success from failure. Very quickly after that, on March 20, the 2022 World Championship will kick off with the Bahrain GP at the Sakhir International Circuit. 

2022, a season to dream

Ferrari faces the upcoming season with high hopes. The new Formula One era which is about to start is marked by the greatest regulatory and conceptual changes of recent times, a revolution that could trigger a hierarchical earthquake. The team of the Prancing Horse sees this as an opportunity to return to the top of the podium, and why not, fight for the 2022 title, out of reach since 2007. 

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