Ferrari testing at Mugello with its 2018 F1 car
Scuderia Ferrari will conduct a test day on the Italian circuit of Mugello before the first Grand Prix of the year in Austria.
As announced a few days ago on MotorsInside, Ferrari will conduct tests on the sidelines of the Austrian Grand Prix. The date is now known and the location has been changed. Initially planned on the Fiorano track within the Scuderia’s facilities, the tests will take place on the Mugello circuit, about a hundred kilometers from Ferrari’s headquarters. These tests with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc will be held on Tuesday, June 23, with the SF71H, the 2018 season’s car.
Just like Renault and Mercedes a few days ago, Ferrari will be the third team to conduct tests with a two-year-old car before the start of the championship. This will allow the drivers to readapt to the car but also for the team to implement the health rules imposed to fight against COVID-19.
The choice of the circuit was not made by chance. Indeed, Mugello has been at the center of persistent rumors for a few days about hosting a Formula 1 race this year. It could take place the week following the Monza Grand Prix in September. While the holding of a second Italian Grand Prix is not yet official, Ferrari will collect a lot of telemetry data that could work in their favor if the track is added to the calendar.
The second criterion that drives Ferrari to conduct its tests on the Mugello track is the site’s layout. The circuit has some elevation changes similar to the Red Bull Ring. The circuit owned by Red Bull will host the first two Grand Prix of the season.
