Ferrari Pursues Hectic Test Schedule.

Ferrari will attempt to pack as much testing as possible into the weeks between yesterday's launch and the Australian Grand Prix on 12 March.


The Italian team, which unveiled its new F1-2000 at Maranello yesterday [Monday] is not expected to have a second track-worthy car ready for at least another week, restricting its early outings to back-to-back testing with last year's F399. Michael Schumacher is expected to conduct most of the running in the new car and, as he is away filming a commercial today [Tuesday], team-mate Rubens Barrichello will start testing at Fiorano with the older chassis.


Schumacher is scheduled to return from Rome to begin testing with the F1-2000 tomorrow, and the team is understood to be keen to get as many miles on the clock as possible this week. General set-up work will precede race-simulating endurance runs, as both Schumacher and the technical team attempt to identify potential problems as early as possible.


Test driver Luca Badoer is expected to join the session later in the week, replacing Barrichello behind the wheel of the F399, before the entire team decamps to Mugello for next week's test of two F1-2000s.