FIRST LOOK: See the first pictures of Carlos Sainz driving for Ferrari, as he makes his testing debut

Carlos Sainz has taken his first laps as a Ferrari driver since signing for the team last May, steering a 2018-spec SF71H around the team’s private Fiorano testing facility.

The number 55 Ferrari emerged onto the 2.997km track under blue skies, for what would be a full day of running for the Spaniard in order to help him get up to speed with Ferrari’s systems – ahead of what will be just a three-day pre-season test in 2021, with Sainz and new team mate Charles Leclerc set to split those days evenly between them.

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Leclerc had his own run in the car on the previous day, completing over 100 laps of Fiorano in the 2018 machine, following his recovery from Covid-19, which he contracted at the start of the year.

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The runs are part of a five-day test Ferrari have planned at the circuit, with Giuliano Alesi, Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman having driven on Monday – while following on from Sainz, Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott will both get runs in the car.

Schumacher is set to drive the SF71H all of Thursday and Friday morning to aid his preparations ahead of his first full season of F1 with Haas in 2021 – while Ilott will then see out the rest of Friday.