Sainz set for first Ferrari run on Wednesday as Scuderia announce five-day, seven-driver test at Fiorano

Carlos Sainz will have his first run in a Ferrari this coming Wednesday, as the Italian team announced a blockbuster five-day test at their Fiorano test track. The Spaniard will share a 2018-spec SF71H with new team mate Charles Leclerc, as well as a host of Ferrari young drivers - including Mick Schumacher, who'll race for Haas in 2021.

The five-day test begins this Monday, with Sainz getting his first chance to drive one of the famous red cars on day three of the test – Wednesday, January 27 – and for the morning of day four. It will be his only chance to test ahead of March’s pre-season test in Bahrain, where he and Leclerc will share three days of running in Ferrari's yet-to-be-named 2021 car.

Leclerc will take the wheel on day two of the test, having recently tested the 2018 SF71H before the start of the 2020 season in June at Mugello.

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Kicking off the five-day test on Monday, January 25, will be three Ferrari Driver Academy hopefuls – Giuliano Alesi, Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman, the former two driving F1 machinery for the very first time.

Alesi’s father Jean tested the F1-90 almost three decades ago at this very circuit, while Armstrong will become the second New Zealander to drive a Ferrari F1 car after Chris Amon.

Rounding out the test will be Haas’s 2021 driver Schumacher and Ferrari’s 2021 test driver Ilott, both of whom brought the 2020 F2 title race down to the finale before Schumacher took the title.

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Schumacher will drive on January 28 and the morning of the 29th, while Ilott ends the five day test with a stint on Friday afternoon. That pair tested the 2018 Ferrari alongside Shwartzman at Fiorano in September 2020.

Ferrari are aiming to clinch at least third in the standings this season, according to team boss Mattia Binotto, after finishing sixth in the standings last year.