Hartley, Wehrlein, Fuoco and Rigon join Ferrari

The development war is raging in Formula 1 and the victorious team is often the one with a faster development pace than its rivals. It is with the hope of winning this war that, in addition to Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, Ferrari is hiring four development drivers who will drive in the simulator at Maranello.

Among these drivers, we can notably find Brendon Hartley who, after a lackluster 2018 season, was let go by Red Bull/Toro Rosso. The double world endurance champion found refuge with the reds and thus remained connected to the world of Formula 1. The journey of the New Zealand driver is reminiscent of Daniil Kvyat, who also joined the Italians after his eviction from Toro Rosso in 2017.

Ferrari will also rely on the services of Pascal Wehrlein. Since Mercedes couldn’t secure him a seat, the German driver is signing with Scuderia alongside his Formula E program with the Mahindra team.

Used to the prancing horse team, Antonio Fuoco, a member of Ferrari’s young driver program since 2013, will also drive in the Ferrari simulator. The 22-year-old Italian hopes to secure a seat in the top category of motorsport for 2020, especially after a Formula 2 season marked by 6 podiums including 2 victories.

The latest development driver for Ferrari is Davide Rigon, who is well acquainted with the Italian simulator as he has been using it since 2014. The 32-year-old Italian driver also continues his endurance program in the GT category with the AF Corse Ferrari team.

Mattia Binotto, the new director of Ferrari, declares: Our team has recruited four undoubtedly talented drivers, who possess an innate sense, with a strong understanding of cars and racetracks. These are exactly the qualities required for the skilled role of simulator driving, one of the essential elements of today’s Formula 1.