Alonso will not drive with Ferrari in Jerez

Felipe Massa will have the honor of being the first to test the 2013 Ferrari in Jerez. The Brazilian driver will drive for the first three days before handing over the car to Pedro de la Rosa, recently inaugurated as Scuderia’s development driver. The notable absentee from this first private testing session is Fernando Alonso.

Ferrari explains on its website that while Massa and de la Rosa will be driving at Jerez, Alonso will be working hard to perfect his physical condition: Throughout the early part of February, Fernando Alonso will intensify his physical training with a focus on the first part of the season, which, as always, will be very demanding, both because of the distances covered between races and the diversity of climatic conditions encountered from Melbourne to Sakhir, via Sepang and Shanghai.

The double Spanish world champion will only test the 2013 Ferrari for the first time in Barcelona. He will drive for the first three days before giving up his seat to Felipe Massa for the last day. For the second private testing session scheduled in Barcelona, the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers will share the task equally, two days each. By the time they reach Melbourne, Alonso will have had the opportunity to drive the Ferrari for 5 days compared to 6 for Massa (and 1 day for Pedro de la Rosa).

According to information published on the official website of the Circuit de Jerez de la Frontera, from the Sauber team, it is Nico Hülkenberg who will be the first to test the C32, at Lotus, it will be Romain Grosjean, at McLaren, Jenson Button, and at Red Bull Racing, Mark Webber. Find the first draft of the Jerez testing schedule below.

Provisional Program of Private Testing in Jerez – 2013 Formula 1 Season