Scuderia Ferrari’s third driver for the 2017 Formula 1 season, Antonio Giovinazzi, admitted he was very pleased with his performance in the SF70H car at the Bahrain International Circuit on Tuesaday, as the young Italian driver completed the first day of in-season testing for Ferrari.
Antonio Giovinazzi had the chance to make his Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix by replacing Pascal Wehrlein, who was unable to participate due to a lack of fitness, caused by the back injury he sustained during the Race of Champions. Giovinazzi managed to finish 12th in the first race of the Formula 1 championship and then retained the Sauber seat for China, but the second Grand Prix was not as positive as the race in Melbourne: Giovinazzi crashed both in the qualifying session and the race, as Wehrlein took back his seat for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The young Italian driver finished second to Lewis Hamilton at Sakhir on Tuesday, completing 93 timed laps: “I enjoyed every single lap. To drive the car that won the last race and is leading the world championship, working with the Ferrari engineers and mechanics, is not just a great feeling, it is a dream I have had since I was little and racing in karts. And today it came true.” – Antonio Giovinazzi said, as reported by Tuttosport, the Italian sport newspaper published in Turin.
Giovinazzi managed a personal best of 1:31.984, on the Super Soft tyres, but most importantly helped Scuderia Ferrari gather important information and data in order to continue the development process of the SF70H car. He was joined on track by Ferrari German team-mate Sebastian Vettel, yet Seb had a different activity schedule by conducting tyre testing in association with official sole supplier Pirelli. Vettel will take over from Giovinazzi for the second day of in-season testing, which takes place on Wednesday.
Formula 1 Bahrain Test Day One Timesheet
1) Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes – 97 laps – 1:31.358
2) Antonio Giovinazzi – Ferrari 93 laps – 1:31.984
3) Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull – 45 laps – 1:32.349
4) Romain Grosjean – Haas – 87 laps – 1:32.452
5) Felipe Massa – Williams – 56 laps – 1:32.509
6) Nico Hulkenberg – Renault – 74 laps – 1:33.624
7) Lance Stroll – Williams – 35 laps – 1:33.729
8) Sean Gelael – Toro Rosso – 78 laps – 1:33.885
9) Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari – Tyre Testing – 89 laps – 1:33.894
10) Alfonso Celis – Force India – 71 laps – 1:33.939
11) Marcus Ericsson – Sauber – 106 laps – 1:34.550
12) Oliver Turvey – McLaren – 17 laps – 1:35.011
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