Ferrari Tests Italian F3 Graduates at Vallelunga

It's becoming a habit for Ferrari to offer some young drivers the opportunity to drive a real Formula One car on one of their home circuits in Italy. And today it happened again, as the official website of the Maranello based organization announced that the Top 3 finishers in the 2010 Italian Formula 3 Championship were offered a day of testing on the Vallelunga’s Piero Taruffi circuit.

The three testers were 21-year old Brazilian driver (from Porto Alegre), Cesar Ramos, none other than the reigning champion of the Italian F3 series, Monaco's Stephane Richelmi, runner-up in the championship and 20-year old Andrea Caldarelli, from Abruzzo (Italy), classified 3rd overall. The test took place under the close supervision of Luca Baldisserri, head of the Ferrari Driver Academy.

“Taking to the track in a Ferrari Formula 1 car was an incredible experience, better than anything I expected,” said Cesar Ramos, the first to try out the Ferrari F2008. “I tried to enjoy it as much as possible, because it really was a dream come true. During the session I was guided by a group of professionals who made me feel perfectly at ease and that contributed to making it an unforgettable experience.”

“I realised that driving a Formula One car is hard work, which requires a lot of training and careful preparation and I am proud to have been given this opportunity,” added Stephane Richelmi.

“Driving a Ferrari is the dream of every driver. I tried not to feel awestruck by the occasion so as not to waste a single moment. It has been a day I will never forget,” concluded the last tester, Andrea Caldarelli.

This was the third consecutive year Ferrari organizes such a session for the rising talents in the Italian F3 Championship, after the 2008 test at Fiorano and the 2009 meeting in Jerez.