Formula One is preparing to return to the track in less than a month, with tests in Bahrain taking place on 21, 22 and 23 February.
The teams are preparing everything for this new start of the season, with days and weeks full of announcements and press releases, without forgetting the presentations of the cars.
One of the most active teams on this front is certainly Ferrari. After announcing the renewal of Charles Leclerc’s contract, further announcements regarding drivers were made.
Arthur Leclerc and Ollie Bearman join Scuderia Ferrari
Arthur Leclerc, as already announced in December, will no longer be part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, which has passed under the guidance of Jack Clear.
However, his career at Ferrari has not come to an end. In fact, as can be seen from today’s press release, the Monegasque will be involved as a development driver, joining Antonio Fuoco and Davide Rigon.
This role will require a certain dedication to the simulator, testing set-ups and new aerodynamic updates that will be implemented throughout the season, thus helping Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
The three drivers will also have other duties. In fact, Fuoco will continue to focus on the WEC, driving the Ferrari Hypercar 499P number 50. Rigon will continue to be a driver in the LMGT3 class in the Vista AF Corse GT3 team.
Finally, Arthur Leclerc, from this year, will be the driver of the Scuderia Baldini 27 in the Italian GT championship.
The news, however, has not come to an end. The talented FDA driver, Oliver Bearman, has been appointed as Ferrari’s reserve driver. Last year, he made a series of appearances for Haas in FP1 sessiosn.
Born in 2005, he will race in Formula 2 with Prema this year, alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli – an Italian driver from the Mercedes academy.
The Englishman will join in the reserve role already occupied by Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman, who are also involved in their respective categories.
The former will continue to be the driver of the Ferrari Hypercar 499P in car #51, while Shwartzman will be at the wheel of the 499P #83, entered by the AF Corse team, sharing the cockpit with Robert Kubica, in the WEC.
Arthur Leclerc and Ollie Bearman will begin to get familiar with Ferrari’s latest cars from next week. As anticipated by formu1a.uno, from January 29-31, Ferrari will be in Barcelona for three days of testing with Pirelli.
Barcelona Test Program
- January 29th-30th: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be behind the wheel of last year’s SF23. The two starting pilots will share both the SF-23 and the F1-75 on the 30th.
- January 29th: Arthur Leclerc will test a Formula One for the first time: the F1-75.
- January 31st: Oliver Bearman will drive the F1-75. This will continue his programme of tests with Ferrari that started last year.
