F3 racer breaks lap record on F1 debut.

Italian F3 champion Mirko Bortolotti made an impressive debut in Formula One machinery after breaking the lap record at the Fiorano circuit.

Bortolotti, along with Edoardo Piscopo and Salvatore Cicatelli, joined Ferrari for a day of testing at its test circuit as a reward for their performances during the Italian F3 season - with the trio all getting a turn behind the wheel of the F2008.

The trio worked closely with Ferrari's race team technicians during the course of the test and Bortolotti produced a surprise as he posted a lap of 59.111secs to break the circuit record.

"This has been a unique experience," he said. "This morning it was really tricky experiencing a Formula 1 car on a humid track. A dream came true for me. I felt at ease since the beginning because the car gives you confidence. It is not comparable to any other car and the most difficult part was to get the most out of brakes.

"At the end of the day I obtained the record and, honestly, things couldn't go better, but I have to say that I would have been happy anyway even if I hadn't scored it."

Piscopo and Cicatelli ended the day slightly slower on the timesheets, but Ferrari team boss Luca Baldisseri said he was impressed by the pace shown by all three.

"We are grateful to CSAI for creating a championship like Formula 3, that allowed us to have a test with these three boys," he said. "They have been amazing and they didn't commit any mistakes despite humid track conditions in the morning.

"We used the simulator first and our tester Andrea Bertolini acted as their tutor, but they learned very quickly. They all have great potential."