It is impossible not to get emotional as you hear the words ‘Schumacher’ and ‘Ferrari’ in the same sentence. Regardless of any kind of cliché, today’s date has to be saved somewhere, because the Schumacher name and Ferrari were reunited by an opportunity handed to a young driver, who embodies more than anything the continuity between the glorious past and a bright future.

Mick Schumacher debuted on the Ferrari SF90 at the Bahrain in-season tests and closed the day in P2, having set his best time on C5 tyres. Oddly, the day at Sakhir was characterised by rain, which precluded the drivers from racking up mileage for over two hours before getting the job done at dusk, under the floodlights.

Romain Grosjean topped the timesheets in the morning, whereas Max Verstappen on C3 was the fastest overall, heading Schumacher on softer tyres by 0.5s. The two were the only drivers who broke down the wall of 1’29’’, whilst McLaren rookie Lando Norris closed in third with a 1’30’’800 on C3. Haas junior Pietro Fittipaldi and Fernando Alonso also took part in the test, with the latter running the McLaren MCL34 for Pirelli.

It is safe to say that this testing session was healthy for the sport, providing multiple reasons for the community to follow it. Even a photo could spark many memories and emotions, or just mere interest, which is good for Schumacher's own identity as a driver making his way into the premier class.

“I really enjoyed today. -said Mick- It felt like home in the garage from the very first moment with a lot of people that know me since I was very young. The SF90 is incredible because of the power it has, but it is also smooth to drive, and that’s why I enjoyed myself so much.”

The German has only one F2 race in his tally, but this week he has the honour of driving two different F1 cars. Here is his first impression of the Ferrari, as Schumacher tells the media what he found striking from the first ever F1 car he drove.

“I was impressed by the braking power an F1 car has. It seemed to me you could brake later and later and the car would have made the turn anyway. I would like to say thank you Ferrari for this incredible opportunity and I’m looking forward to test the Alfa Romeo tomorrow.”

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