Ferrari is returning to the track at Mugello, with Rafael Câmara set for more Formula 1 mileage in the SF-25 ahead of an important subsequent test with Haas. Starting tomorrow, the Scuderia will complete two days of TPC running, or Testing of Previous Cars, as part of a programme dedicated both to young-driver development and Ferrari’s wider support activities.
Rafael Câmara will be the main focus of the Mugello test. For the Brazilian, the running will primarily serve as training and preparation for Formula 1, giving him more time to become familiar with the procedures, power and workload involved in driving a car from the highest category of motorsport.
Rafael Câmara’s Ferrari Mugello test prepares him for Haas
The additional mileage is particularly important because Rafael Câmara is preparing for a subsequent “old-style” test behind the wheel of a Haas, where a comparison with Leonardo Fornaroli is also expected. Mugello will therefore represent another important preparatory step, allowing the Brazilian to readjust to Formula 1 speeds and work through the relevant procedures before beginning his programme with the American team.
Ferrari has used previous-generation Formula 1 cars for this type of preparation for several years, with earlier TPC-style private running helping young drivers gain valuable mileage and familiarity with F1 procedures.
Fred Vasseur had already confirmed that Ferrari believes in Rafael Câmara and sees the TPC programme as an important part of his preparation.
“The TPC tests they are doing are a much, much, much bigger help in allowing him to be ready for the test that is coming and for next season. Together, we will try to find the best possible solution for him,” the Ferrari team principal explained.
For Rafael Câmara, the Mugello running is therefore not simply about accumulating laps. It is another opportunity to become accustomed to the performance levels of a Formula 1 car, reinforce operational routines and arrive better prepared for the next stage of his development with Haas.
Dino Beganovic and Antonio Fuoco also remain part of Ferrari’s TPC programme
Ferrari’s TPC programme is not focused exclusively on the young Brazilian. Dino Beganovic and Antonio Fuoco also remain involved in running previous Ferrari Formula 1 cars, although their objective is different and equally important for Maranello.
The aim is to ensure that both drivers maintain an appropriate level of real-world track experience so that their subsequent simulator work becomes more effective and representative. Periodically driving an actual Formula 1 car enables them to keep their references updated in areas such as braking, aerodynamic loads, operational procedures and the general behaviour of the car.
Those references become particularly valuable when Dino Beganovic, and especially Antonio Fuoco, are subsequently used for development sessions in the simulator. The TPC programme has therefore become another correlation and preparation tool within Ferrari’s wider technical operation, complementing the work carried out through the Scuderia’s Formula 1 development and technical analysis programme.
Ferrari combines young-driver development with simulator preparation
Tomorrow’s running at Mugello will consequently form part of a broader Ferrari programme with several different objectives. Rafael Câmara is looking towards his upcoming Haas test and the expected comparison with Leonardo Fornaroli, while Dino Beganovic and Antonio Fuoco continue preparing for their roles within Ferrari’s simulation activities.
For the Maranello team, the two-day test therefore serves both the development of one of its promising young drivers and the continued preparation of the drivers whose real-world experience helps make Ferrari’s simulator work as representative as possible.
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