Charles Leclerc rounds out Ferrari’s Mugello F1 test 

Charles Leclerc rounded out Ferrari’s private test at Mugello as the Scuderia ramped up its preparations for the start of the 2020 Formula 1 season. 

Leclerc took over from teammate Sebastian Vettel to complete running in Ferrari’s 2018 SF71H in the afternoon after the four-time world champion sampled F1 machinery for the first time since Barcelona pre-season testing. 

It also marked Leclerc’s first proper on-track outing since February, though the Monegasque did briefly drive Ferrari’s 2020 challenger - the SF1000 - around the streets of Maranello in a demonstration run held last week. 

While testing of current F1 cars is heavily restricted with mileage limited to just 100km, teams are permitted to conduct unlimited running with cars that are at least two years old. 

Like Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault have used two-year-old cars for their own private tests at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring in recent weeks.

Rolling out for the first time in three months What a feeling @Charles_Leclerc #essereFerrari #BackOnTrack #WeGoAgain @MissionWinnow @MugelloCircuit pic.twitter.com/cxLBVl865k

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 23, 2020

However, Racing Point became the first team to run its 2020 car since winter testing by using one of its two permitted filming days as Lance Stroll shook down its RP20 contender at Silverstone last week.

AlphaTauri will carry out a filming day with its AT01 on Wednesday at Imola, while Red Bull is also understood to be planning to carry out a similar promotional day run later this week. 

As well as using the tests to allow their drivers and personnel to get back up to speed ahead of the season-opener in Austria on July 5, teams have also taken the opportunity to practice F1’s strict new hygiene protocols that will be enforced once racing resumes.

Time to swap seats #Seb5 #Charles16#essereFerrari #BackOnTrack @Charles_Leclerc @MissionWinnow pic.twitter.com/Y2vRA120NV

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 23, 2020