Giovinazzi: Raikkonen is the best teammate for me

It was the proverbial "dream come true" for the 24-year-old Italian, and furthermore, the rookie is relishing the prospect of learning from the veteran Finn he will share the pit garage with next year.

Giovinazzi told reporters in Sochi, “He has a lot of experience and if I ask him something he will for sure help me. I would say he is the best teammate for me to start my F1 career. I can’t wait also to race beside a world champion so it’s something really good.”

The winds have changed that are set to sweep through the Swiss team has already made an impact with renewed interest from sponsors and increased motivation among staff preparing for Raikkonen's second coming and the young Italian.

“I think the team is working really well, the people they are really motivated. Also next year there will be Kimi with a lot of experience and I think also his name can help also the team to give 110% to improve the car and do a fantastic job.”

Italy has not had a driver full-time on the F1 grid since Jarno Trulli departed the scene in 2011, a fact that does not escape Giovinazzi, "I’m really happy for the Italian fans that they can have another Italian driver back after so much time."

“Of course they have Ferrari which is a big Italian brand but to have an Italian driver it was something normal for F1 and I can’t wait to carry that flag next year in Melbourne.”

Giovinazzi, who did FP1 on Friday in Sochi, was quicker than Ferrari bound Charles Leclerc in the sister car. He was in the car before the summer break during the in-season test after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

On Friday, after his stint in the morning, Giovinazzi reported, “It’s two months from the Hungaroring [test]. I would say the car was a lot better everywhere."

“It was the same jump I felt from the rookie test in Barcelona to Hungaroring and I felt another jump here just overall grip from the car so I was really happy also for this,” explained the man from Martina Franca in southern Italy.