Schumacher starts Ferrari testing

Michael Schumacher has wasted no time in preparing for his Formula One comeback in three weeks.

Just two days after confirming he would replace the injured Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 23 August, the 40-year-old spent Friday afternoon behind the wheel of a 2007-spec car.

With in-season testing banned, Schumacher is not allowed to drive the current Ferrari, but can run an older model, and did so on the team's test track at Mugello

The seven-times world champion also worked on the simulator on Thursday, in particular to get a feel for the current steering wheel and its plethora of buttons.

‘I was in Maranello to check the functionality of the steering wheel at the static simulator,’ confirmed Schumacher.

‘Of course, I also took the opportunity to again discuss with the engineers how to proceed further.

‘There is this test ban in Formula One, therefore I contacted some of the guys from F1 Clienti (the technician team at Maranello) if they could give me a car.

‘Although the cars are not current or last year's, I simply like to drive as much as possible, so it was a good option.

‘The next weeks are totally about preparation.’