Arthur Leclerc will make his debut in an official Method 1 apply session at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 23-year-old will drive alongside his older brother Charles as Ferrari completes its obligation to run two junior drivers in its automobiles over the course of the season. Carlos Sainz Jnr will take over his automobile from second apply.
The youthful Leclerc examined for Ferrari’s World Endurance Championship hypercar staff in Bahrain final month. He moved into sportscar racing this 12 months with Panis Racing within the European Le Mans Championship, ending the 12 months fourth total with staff mates Manuel Maldonado (cousin of ex-F1 driver Pastor) and Charles Milesi.
He spent 4 years within the Ferrari Driver Academy, successful the Method Regional Asian collection in 2022, earlier than inserting sixth in Method 3 that 12 months. He left the FDA after a single season in Method 2.
Ferrari’s junior driver plans have been disrupted by Oliver Bearman making his third look in a grand prix at Interlagos final month. As he has began greater than two grands prix, he now not qualifies as a junior driver as described by F1’s guidelines. Bearman substituted for Sainz at Jeddah, and stood in for Kevin Magnussen in Baku, in addition to in Brazil.
A number of groups have left it till the ultimate spherical of the championship to fulfil their obligations to run an inexperienced driver in every of their automobiles throughout first apply over the course of the season. Ferrari’s constructors’ championship rivals McLaren will do the identical, operating Ryo Hirakawa in Oscar Piastri’s automobile in first apply.
From subsequent 12 months, groups should hand over two first apply classes in every of their automobiles to junior drivers, with a purpose to give rookies extra probability to achieve expertise in F1.
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