Kimi Raikkonen [ Images ] made his long-awaited Ferrari [ Images ] debut on Tuesday with his first Formula One test for the Italian glamour team at a damp Vallelunga circuit.

Some 50 fans huddled in the stand at the track near Rome as the 27-year-old Finn, the heir apparent to retired seven times champion Michael Schumacher [ Images ], got to grips with last year's 248 F1 car.

Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa [ Images ] was testing the new F2007 car at the same time under overcast skies and occasional showers.

A Ferrari spokesman said everything was proceeding as scheduled and Raikkonen, twice a championship runner-up at McLaren [ Images ], had completed some 18 laps by 1100GMT.

The season starts in Australia [ Images ] on March 18.

Ferrari abandoned plans to test at Mugello, much closer to their Maranello factory, because of forecast bad weather in the next three days.