Bortolotti was the first to jump into the cockpit, followed by Daniel, just back from Monaco, where he took part in the third round of the World Series. Third on track was Jules Bianchi, also fresh from the weekend in the Principality, where he came third in Race 2 of the GP2 series. Progress made during the day by the three drivers impressed project manager, Luca Baldisserri, who had this to say at the end of the session: “they all improved a lot, especially in their work method. They are on the right road to becoming very good drivers. Vallelunga is a very technical track and it was interesting to see the way the three of them tackled it, as it features medium speed corners which makes for an increase in tyre degradation, that required them to adjust their driving style.”

This was an important training session for Bortolotti, prior to his next GP3 series race in Istanbul. “It was nice to be back at Vallelunga where I won the F3 championship two years ago and it was even more exciting tacking it at the wheel of a Ferrari Formula 1 car. My aim is to go to the next race looking for the best possible result. The Academy provides a great opportunity to improve.”

Daniel Zampieri is also looking forward to his next race with enthusiasm and high hopes. “Thanks to the advice of the engineers, I was able to improve my braking, trying to find the right markers for hitting the brakes. I now go to Brno determined to pick up as many points as possible.”

The Monaco podium and his experience with the Academy represents a first step towards F1 for Jules Bianchi. “Naturally, the aim of this programme is to help one grow towards eventually making it into the world of F1.”