Mick Schumacher was relieved to finally get back behind the wheel of a race car, taking Ferrari’s 2018 challenger for a spin.
Ferrari set up a five-day testing programme at the Fiorano circuit, designed to give track time to current drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, as well as Ferrari Driver Academy members. The test also serves as a refresher for members of the crew.
Sainz kicked-off the day on Thursday behind the wheel of the SF71H for the morning session, and from there he handed over to FDA member Schumacher.
The German racer is no stranger to Ferrari machinery, in fact this was his fifth demo run in a Ferrari since his first outing in Bahrain back in 2019.
Schumacher completed some practice starts as part of his track time, before getting over 50 laps under his belt.
Schumacher will be back in the SF71H on Friday morning, before handing over to Ferrari’s new reserve driver Callum Ilott who Schumacher beat to the 2020 F2 Championship.
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“Finally sitting in a race car again is a feeling I was missing a lot,” Schumacher told the Ferrari website.
“I think today has definitely been a positive day at the track. We managed to get through the entire programme that we had scheduled without any problems and it was clearly very useful to be able to get through so much mileage at the wheel of a car in view of the coming season that will be starting in about a month and a half with the pre-season testing.
“The SF71H is a car from 2018 but its behaviour on the track and the feelings that it gives to the driver are very similar, both in terms of how it behaves on the track and physical stress. That makes it an excellent base when it comes to preparation for the new season. Driving at Fiorano is always great anyway because the track is technical and demanding.
“It’s been a pleasure to meet up once again with the engineers and mechanics I worked with last September and I can’t wait to get back into the car tomorrow.”
.@SchumacherMick returns to Fiorano ?#FDA @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/2ubLyJNBbc
— FerrariDriverAcademy (@insideFDA) January 28, 2021
Schumacher will make his official Formula 1 debut in 2021 as part of the Haas team.
Haas have gone with an all-rookie line-up for the new season, consisting of Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin who finished P5 in the 2020 F2 standings.
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