Scuderia Ferrari started up its latest Formula 1 engine for the first time at its headquarters in Maranello on Thursday evening. Motorsport Italy sources report that the engine test – the first time it was started while actually installed in the 2019 racecar – went according to plan.
The 1.6 V6 turbo hybrid power unit, which should internally be codenamed 670, fired up in the presence of the many technicians who have worked on the project since the second half of 2018. Mattia Binotto, the new Ferrari Team Principal, was in Maranello for the special event, as the “fire up” is one of the rituals that marks the birth of every new Formula 1 car. Scuderia Ferrari’s drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, were not present, but have been in Maranello recently to have seat fittings in the new car, as reported by Motorsport Italy.
The new Ferrari car is due to be launched on February 15 before official Formula One testing gets underway on February 18 at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya with two four-day meetings. After once again fighting for the title with Mercedes and finishing second last year, the Italian team is hoping to secure its first championship in more than a decade this season. The 2019 car, which has not yet been named, carries the hopes of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, the Maranello team’s driver line-up for the 2019 Formula 1 championship.
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