Ferrari has confirmed that it is to test three young hopefuls from the Italian Formula 3 series, as reported earlier this month.

The Scuderia issued the following press release this afternoon:

Scuderia Ferrari and the ACI-CSAI (the governing body of motor sport in Italy) will organise a day of testing at the Fiorano circuit, aimed at evaluating young Italian motor racing talent.

The test will see the top three finishers in the Italian Formula 3 series, Mirko Bortolotti, Edoardo Piscopo and Salvatore Cicatelli, take the wheel of an F2008. They will work with engineers from the Race Team, going through a proper working test day.

"For every generation, Scuderia Ferrari is a symbol for all those who have a passion for racing," commented Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo. "Looking to the youngsters and to the future, I hope this initiative can contribute to the development of young drivers and also to the regeneration of motor sport in our country."

"One of the stated duties of the Federation is the development of this sport in Italy, and that includes promoting young drivers," commented the President of the ACI-CSAI, Gino Macaluso. "I am grateful to Ferrari and to Luca di Montezemolo for having shown such enthusiasm in offering the great opportunity to three promising hopes of Italian motor sport not only to realize their dream of driving a Ferrari Formula 1 car, but also of experiencing at first hand what it is to work with a team that is the quintessential expression of motor racing at world level."