What exactly Ferrari plans to do during its Formula 1 test drives in Fiorano and what this means for the upcoming race weekend in Imola
Ferrari is already returning to the race track this week: According to information from it.motorsport.com, the traditional Formula 1 team with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will complete a test day on Thursday or Friday (May 9 or 10) at its company-owned race track in Fiorano near Maranello in Italy
There are apparently three major items on the agenda: First and foremost, Ferrari’s test drives are likely to be about subjecting the first major technical update of the 2024 Formula 1 season to an initial endurance test before its Grand Prix debut the following week in Imola and checking the correlation between (digital) development and the race track.
Secondly, Ferrari has signed a new title sponsor in Hewlett Packard (HP), which made its debut at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix. Ferrari now wants to use its car design, modified by the HP logos, for filming for commercial purposes.
And finally, the Fiorano test drives also offer Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman the opportunity to “warm up” for his first Formula 1 Friday race of the year at Haas. In Imola, Bearman will take over one of the two Haas VF-24s from Nico Hülkenberg’s team and will then contest the first free practice session at five more Grands Prix
What the Formula 1 regulations say about “movie days “
For its filming in Fiorano, Ferrari is taking advantage of Article 10.4 of the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations. It defines so-called promo events and states: “A promo event may not exceed 200 kilometers and each team may only hold one promo event per day.”
The possible mileage of 200 kilometers was only increased for the 2024 Formula 1 season: Until 2023, teams were allowed a maximum of 100 kilometers per day for filming. However, it was already stated last year: “A promotional event is an event in which a [team] participates purely for marketing and advertising purposes.”
This covers the planned Ferrari tests, as the team has so far only completed one of these film days with the current SF-24. Now the second will follow
When current Formula 1 cars may be tested
Article 10.4 e) continues: “Each team may complete two promotional events [with current cars] without these [tests] being classified as test drives with current cars. “
Because these test drives with current cars are severely restricted by the Formula 1 regulations: Article 10.8 only allows winter testing before the start of the season, young driver testing after the end of the season, various Pirelli tire tests and “familiarization tests” for replacement drivers, provided they have not competed in any Formula 1 races in the two years prior.
Why Ferrari has reserved two days for a film day
The question remains as to why Ferrari booked the track in Fiorano for two days if testing is only to take place on one day. Answer: to be sure of the weather. The Formula 1 team wanted to have a buffer in the schedule in case the first possible day should not allow driving due to bad weather. However, the weather forecast currently looks good for both days