18 Year Old Bortolotti sets a new record lap time at Fiorano!

wow very interesting indeed.

 

and they're still talking to Rossi because...

 

Am I to understand that the old lap record was not held by MS, KR, nor FM but a test driver ? If true this amazes me as well.

33 laps in a F1 car to break it stepping from a F3 car is pretty amazing. Had to be on full slicks. Somethings not right here.

 

Wow one to keep a eye on.

 

Chapeau! Am I the only one who sees an Italian Lewis Hamilton in the making?

 

Something is wrong here...

F2002 breaks Fiorano record again
Formula One world champion driver Michael Schumacher on Tuesday set a new track record at Ferrari's private Fiorano circuit with the Italian stable's new F2002 car, the team announced. Schumacher's new time of 58.378sec surpassed the mark of 58.620sec set by the German driver on Sunday in his first day of testing with the new car.

F2003-GA broke the record again...

El piloto alemán Michael Schumacher, a los mandos del nuevo Ferrari F2003-GA, ha establecido esta tarde un nuevo récord absoluto de la pista de "Fiorano", al realizar un mejor crono de 57.045.

F2004
Ferrari F2004 0'55.999 Michael Schumacher 2004

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro concluded their first test with the new F2004 yesterday [Sunday], by once again breaking the lap record.

Michael Schumacher was in action for the third day running, and in ideal conditions, under clear skies, he broke the 56 second barrier, his best effort, a 55.999secs.

Fiorano
Best Lap Time in 2004: 55.999 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
Best Lap Time in 2005: 57.222 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari F2005) - 15 Apr
Best Lap Time in 2005 (05 spec): 57.222 Michael Schumacher (Ferrari F2005) - 15 Apr
Best Lap Time in 2005 (Any car - V8 Engine): 59.305 Marc Gene (Ferrari F2004) - 10 Aug
Best Lap Time in 2006 (06 spec car - V8 Engine): 57.099 Felipe Massa (Ferrari 248 F1) - 19 May
Best Lap Time in 2007 (07 spec car): 58.360 Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2007) - 15 January

Bertolini record of 59 seconds and Mirko Bortolotti broke it?

 

Not trying too take away this kids shining moment because it's still impresiive but......

Was Fiorano reconfigured/repaved? Something is amiss

 

"it was 18-year-old series champion Bertolotti who made the biggest impression as he lapped in 59.111s, faster than this year's F2008 had ever been around Fiorano before." - Itv-f1.com

I think it was a record for the F2008, not the overall lap record.

 

Testing times are pure BS ...

Pete

 

+1. That's the way I understood it as well. Each year the requirements change - tires, engines, aerodynamics, etc. Can't compare a track record year to year when there are so many variables. However, I am surprised that it appears he set a record for the F2008 at Fiorano whereas you would have expected the record to have been set by either Kimi or Felipe. Interesting ...

 

Yeah it's just for the F2008. Also, the Italian F3 series isn't known as a place where talented drivers come from. it's usually a place for drivers with less budget or talent. Guys like Lewis, Vettel, Heikki, Glock, Sutil, Rosberg, Nakajima, Kubica alllll came from the European F3 series. So Good for him!

 

Just to be clear, it was the fastest lap time at Fiorano this year. And Ferrari haven't done much F1 testing at Fiorano this year because of the testing restrictions. However, it is still impressive and even more so when you consider the guy's age.

Jonathan

 

...and who is Bertolini?

official Scuderia testers are Badoer and Gené...

 

I believe he was/is the test driver for the Ferrari/Maserati sports racing GT cars. He help develop the Maserati MC12 and raced the Maserati in the ALMS ('06?) and currently with the Vitaphone Maserati MC12 team. I'm sure there's more about him.

 

No that is Mirko Bortolotti. the article mention a tester Bertolini...

 

OK, he´s from the GT group an F1 tester. He´s the one that test the regular cars from Ferrari also, right?

 

http://www.vitaphone-racing.de/racing/vitaphone-team/andrea-bertolini.html

Born in Modena and educated at Ferrari's Technical Institute, he was a karting champ before his teens, the youngest factory GT driver with JMB in the FIA series driving 360 GTC's before being promoted to the MC12 drive. Great GT driver. Great collaudatore...

 

Man, my typing skills are horrible

Thanks for the info

 

Bortolotti was born in Trento, in Northern Italy, but grew up in Vienna, Austria where his father runs an ice cream parlor.

 

Good question.

For the same reasons they had him "test" before: A PR stunt. By now only die-hard Rossi fans think he has it to make it in a F1 car.

To the Scuderia Ferrari I say: Hire Vettel! Subito.

 

+1000

Vettel should replace Raikkonen, who has just about the same motivation level as Coulthard these days.

Of the new generation of drivers I consider Vettel, Hamilton, Kubica, Massa, Rosberg and Alonso (yes, he is still very young) as the overall top picks.

Since there is no Schumacher Ferrari can't afford to have only one top driver like in the old days of the Irvines and Barrichellos. Of all these, Vettel would be the perfect choice as he would probably be happy to support Massa for the first year before going for the title himself. Alonso would be a dream (he's probably the best out there, IMO better even than Hamilton) but his primadonna character would require a Kovalainen type of second driver to avoid problems.