Ferrari will need to field another rookie driver to fulfill its Free Practice 1 obligations in Abu Dhabi after Oliver Bearman made his third appearance in Brazil.
Bearman stepped in for an unwell Kevin Magnussen at Haas F1. While this gave him valuable experience, it also disqualifies the young Briton from driving for Ferrari to meet the requirement of two free practice sessions per season.
Bearman had taken over for Charles Leclerc in FP1 in Mexico and was set to replace Carlos Sainz at Yas Marina.
Ferrari will need to find another driver within its ranks, with reserve driver Robert Shwartzman a possible candidate before he leaves for IndyCar. However, according to several sources, Antonio Fuoco, a Ferrari driver in the World Endurance Championship, could be in the running to make his free practice debut.
Fuoco recently completed a test day at Fiorano, Ferrari’s private track, driving the team’s 2022 car, the F1-75.
Fuoco has already participated in two post-season Formula 1 tests, in 2020 and 2021, and the 28-year-old has been a Ferrari development driver for nearly a decade.
He claimed victory at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, with Ferrari winning the endurance classic in each of the past two years since returning to the top tier of the category.
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Ferrari Forced to Rethink F1 Testing Plans for Abu Dhabi Ferrari Forced to Rethink F1 Testing Plans for Abu Dhabi
