Ferrari Driver Academy members Jules Bianchi, Mirko Bortolotti and Daniel Zampieri sampled the team’s constructors championship-winning F2008 at the Fiorano circuit today.
The trio drove a car supplied by the teams F1 Clienti department, which was also used to give Felipe Massa some test mileage over the winter as he made his comeback from injury.
GP2 driver Bianchi is eighth in his championship, level on points with team mate Sam Bird. Bortolotti races in GP3 but is yet to score a point this year. Zampieri is racing in Formula Renault 3.5 and lies ninth in the championship standings.
In the run-up to the Canadian Grand Prix Ferrari announced it had signed 11-year-old Canadian kart driver Lance Stroll to the FDA.
Read more: Jules Bianchi (Meet the rookies)
Scribe (@scribe)
16th June 2010, 19:25
Oh the F2008 was such a beautiful machine, one of the absolute best looking Ferrari’s of recent years and certainly the pick of the class of 08. Possibly the best looking car of the decade if you ask me, an this comes from a McLaren fan.
(Incidentally I think the Mp4-23 was the coolest people don’t like the transformer look but I still think it looks awesome)
Patrickl
17th June 2010, 17:27
It looks horrible. Really have never been able to understand what people see in those cars with all the flaps and pipes and frills. I’d say 2007 and 2008 were the ugliest cars in F1 ever :)
Electrolite
17th June 2010, 21:34
I’d have to agree with PatrickL myself. I’d bring the 05 and 06 cars into that group as well!
Michael Griffin
19th June 2010, 0:05
Personally I think the incredibly basic design of the late eighties, early nineties was the most beautiful rather than wings popping out from every orifice.
Fixy (@)
11th October 2011, 21:04
I easily can say it’s the best ever F1 car.
dsob
16th June 2010, 21:06
And in further news, Lance stroll will also be getting some time behind the wheel of the F2008, as soon as Ferrari finish fitting the booster seat and pedal extensions.
BasCB
17th June 2010, 7:13
Maybe signing him on was just part of the Marketing strategy (and getting their local importer happy – he’s the father) for Canada.
Would be nice to see him handling the Ferrari though!
sato113 (@sato113)
17th June 2010, 0:36
i’ve only just realised that ferrari have changed from their beautiful metallic red livery (ass seen in the first pic) to their more plain red this year. shame.
GeeMac
17th June 2010, 8:48
Seeing the F2008 makes me realise just how much I have got used to the look of the cars post 2009 rule changes. I don’t know if that’s a good thing, because the F2008 and the MP4-23 were incredible looking cars!
What’s the deal with the tyres (because the F2008 ran on grooved tyres of course)? GP2 slicks?
Journeyer (@journeyer)
17th June 2010, 9:58
I think so, yes.
That said, look at this again:
The most promising drivers for the greatest F1 team ever are… not even contending for the titles in their categories. That is very disappointing, I’ve gotta say. Didn’t Massa win Euro F3000 at least before he stepped into F1?
Rob
17th June 2010, 11:02
To be fair, none of these drivers are about to step into either Alonso or Massa’s shoes quite yet. They have a few years to be challenging for titles, but I do agree that I would have expected them to be front runners rather than just midfielders.
I think it would be useful for the new teams to set up development programmes as quickly as finances will allow, because the sport has benefitted massively from the likes of Minardi taking chances on the drivers such as Alonso and Webber.
Journeyer (@journeyer)
17th June 2010, 11:25
Minardi taking on Alonso and Webber is thanks to the FDA. The Flavio Driver Academy. ;)
Most teams now have some form of driver dev, though, but some are more mature than others.
Steph90 (@steph90)
17th June 2010, 11:20
I’m going to defend Bianchi mainly as I support him the most.
He hasn’t been in GP2 that long and until Lewis no-one won it in their first year. It took Hulkenberg until the 9th roudn to win in GP2 and before that his best finish was 3rd. On Jules debut in the GP2 Asia he managed 3rd at Abu Dhabi and put in a superb performance on the second race. So far in the main series I don’t think anyone driver has won more than once just showing how open it is.
Not only that but we’ve seen time and time again that although feeder series are a good indicator they’re never a guarantee. Kobayashi is one example, Senna had a tough timne against Brunld ein the British Formula 3 title I think it was and Kimi didn’t really have any previosu experience at all apart from the odd race.