The conditions were really difficult: not even the wet demo tires are able to reach temperature with 8 degrees of asphalt in the best of conditions. Robert Shwartzman, the young Ferrari test driver, was only able to start the “training test” after 10.30 today because it was necessary to dry the surface of the Fiorano track, which was very wet after yesterday’s rain and snow.
The 23-year-old Israeli-Russian therefore opened the three days that the Maranello team has prepared to prepare its drivers in view of the start of the 2023 Formula One season and found himself having to deal with the effects of bad weather: during the morning he managed to complete 35 laps, a distance that is not even half of what could be predicted in dry conditions.
During a clearing that allowed the asphalt to be only damp, a train of slicks was also mounted, but the experiment was immediately interrupted because the tyres, although kept in tyrewarmers, cooled down as soon as they touched the track, having no grip.
It was therefore logical to go back to wet tyres, especially after a shower in the early afternoon brought the track conditions back to those that Robert Shwartzman had found in the morning: the Israeli-Russian, therefore, proved that he knew how to get along more than well despite the minimum grip, but also avoided taking unnecessary risks with the SF21 challenger which tomorrow will be entrusted to Carlos Sainz.
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The weather forecast indicates a 50% chance of rain tomorrow, while conditions could improve slightly on Thursday when it will be Charles Leclerc’s turn to complete the three-day test session.
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