Alonso, first taste of 2014

It opened with a first taste of the season to come on the last weekend of the year in Fernando Alonso's Maranello. The Spanish driver arrived at the Scuderia headquarters this morning and immediately immersed himself in an intense program of work on the simulator.

The objective of the day was to gain initial contact with the set of procedures that will characterize the driver's management of the 2014 single-seater. “I'm happy with how this day of work in the simulator went” – Fernando told www.ferrari.com – “We managed to complete the entire program we had planned. It was nice to be back driving, even if only virtually. We shared many ideas together with the technicians: we are only at the beginning of a process of continuous learning and growth and it's nice to be able to give our contribution."

At the end of the session, Fernando flew by helicopter to Rome where he joined President Luca di Montezemolo. Together the two take part this evening in the television marathon on RAI Uno dedicated to raising funds for Telethon, the foundation that deals with scientific research for the treatment of rare genetic diseases, of which Montezemolo himself is president.

The traditional lunch of the Scuderia Ferrari is scheduled for tomorrow, the event which brings together the women and men who work in the sporting activities of the Maranello company, the drivers and the representatives of the technical and commercial partners, all gathered together to exchange Christmas greetings. It will also be the opportunity to embrace Felipe Massa for the last time as a Ferrari driver, even if the Brazilian will always remain part of his second family, the sporting one.

The afternoon and the following day will be dedicated to Natale Bimbi, the event organized by the company for the children of the employees' families who, only tomorrow, will be joined by their peers from some classes of the primary schools of Maranello and Medolla , one of the centers most affected by the earthquake that hit Emilia in June 2012.