Californian Michael Lewis to test a Ferrari next week

While Formula One's young-driver test next week at the Abu Dhabi circuit will receive a lot of attention, Californian Formula Three racer Michael Lewis is set to drive a Ferrari F60–the Scuderia's 2009 F1 car–at the Vallelunga track near Rome. The test is his prize for being the top rookie in the 2011 Italian F3 Championship.

The Italian motorsport authority, the CSAI, has arranged the test-drive award since 2008, and it is clearly aimed at promoting local talent. In previous years tests were given to the top three finishers, but this year, the CSAI chose only overall champion Sergio Campana and rookie winner Lewis.

The 20-year-old Lewis also finished second overall in the championship, with three race wins. He competed previously in Formula BMW in 2009 and 2010, having started his motorsports career in quarter midgets.

CSAI president Angelo Sticchi Damiani said, "The test [in] cooperation with Scuderia Ferrari [where] we award the best drivers of our F3 championship is a moment of great satisfaction and . . . pride for the Italian federation."