Le Mans winner Fuoco enjoyed his F1 stint in Mexico

While simply reading the timesheet can only translate as disappointment (last time 2,474 seconds off the best time), a more complete analysis of Antonio Fuoco's performance is needed to form a clear opinion. At 29, the Italian is a rookie in the strict sense of the rules of the Formula 1 (which specifies that a driver is a rookie as long as he has not taken part in more than two Grands Prix), but he has extensive experience.

Above all, as part of the Hypercar program of Classic Ferrari for sale, Fuoco won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024 and will do everything to help his brand win the constructors' world title at the final round of the season, the 8 Hours of Bahrain. The idea for the Cariati native was therefore not to prove himself, like other rookies, but to help the Prancing Horse, for which he works on a simulator.

“The goal of the session was to have a reference for my work on the simulator. It was very important for me but also for the team, to understand the differences between the real thing and the simulator. It was my first time on the Mexican circuit, so it was important to familiarize myself with the track. I had a good feeling, even if there are points on which we can improve. The goal was not to show performance or take risks, it was mainly to collect data for the simulator, and to make the most of it.”

Fuoco is therefore undertaking a correlation task. This task is all the more important as the 2026 single-seater tests are currently only taking place virtually, due to the arrival of new regulations. It is therefore crucial to ensure that the IT tools developed in Maranello correctly reflect the results achieved with the car current, to be able to set out in the right direction for development for the coming year. Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur was satisfied with the work of his simulator driver on track.

“He did a good job. It’s always tricky for young drivers, because in F1 we’re a bit schizophrenic: we ask them not to make mistakes, not to have accidents, but ultimately, we also ask them to push. But Antonio did a great job. He’s not a complete rookie. He’s one of our reference drivers on the Hypercar, he won Le Mans and he spends a lot of time for us in the simulator. This is the best opportunity to give him some time on the track.”

The first Italian to drive a Ferrari during a Grand Prix weekend since Giancarlo Fisichella in Abu Dhabi in 2009, Antonio Fuoco enjoyed a moment that is always special for a transalpine driver: “It was really special to be able to seize this great opportunity, I want to thank the whole team, the whole family, because it's a family, at Ferrari. I'm very proud to have been able to take to the track. We had a good session, everything went well, so I'm happy.”

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