With just one month before the official winter pre-season testing session at the Bahrain International circuit, which will also host the first round of the 2023 F1 campaign, teams and drivers are continuing their specific preparations. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas was one of the first drivers to post details of their simulator work on his social media accounts, most of the drivers have already started the simulator work, including Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
The two Ferrari drivers have been in seen in Maranello during the last few days after finishing their winter holidays. Many fans waited for the two Ferrari men and Charles and Carlos were always willing to stop for pictures with fans who – as ever – stood waiting at the entrance to Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello.
Charles Leclerc is back after his time in the Dolomite Mountains with Antonio Fuoco and Andrea Ferrari, which the Monegasque also used as an ideal location for his physical preparations in the high altitudes of these mountains:
“It is the only time of the year when we have some time to carry out intense training of this nature”, Charles Leclerc explained. Usually, once a Formula One championship ends, the drivers enjoy their time by resting and going on holidays before officially returning to work in the second half of January.
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On the other hand, his Maranello teammate, Carlos Sainz, spent his time watching his father compete in the Dakar Rally for Audi. The Spaniard also met with MotoGP Champion Marc Marquez, with the Spanish pairing carrying out their physical training together. Finally, in the last few days after taking a trip to Maranello, the Spaniard has also gone to the mountains to continue his physical training.
The Fiorano race track, which is owned by the Maranello team, gives Ferrari the opportunity to carry out preparatory tests for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in an easy manner. The current Formula 1 rules and regulations give teams the chance to freely organize as much testing as they want, as long as they use a car that is at least two years old.
As first reported by Robert Chinchero and confirmed by formu1a.uno, Scuderia Ferrari has scheduled a three-day test. Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Robert Shwartzman and Antonio Giovinazzi will be involved, spending time behind the wheel of the SF21 car. This will give both Ferrari’s factory and reserve drivers (who will be busy with simulator work during the next season) the opportunity to prepare themselves for the start of the next F1 championship.
Next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (24-26 January), weather permitting, the SF21 will therefore hit the track in Fiorano. This car competed in the 2021 World Championship and is therefore an ‘old generation’ of F1 cars and eligible for the tests.
The schedule of the test involves a full day of running for Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, whilst the Scuderia’s two reserve drivers will share time behind the wheel on the last day.
Driving in the SF21 will not give too many indications regarding the current new generation of cars, but the three-day test will still be very useful for the drivers return to familiarize themselves with various procedures and physical demands of Formula 1.
The opportunity to spend time with their engineers is another advantage of this testing session. The official pre-season tests start in late February with the Ferrari 675 car, which is yet to be officially named by the Maranello team.
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