SAUBER CONFIRMS ANTONIO GIOVINAZZI FOR 2019
The current Ferrari third driver will make the step up to a full time seat after making a handful of appearances for the team last year.
Giovinazzi made his F1 debut as a replacement for the injured Pascal Wehrlein in 2017. He took a 12th place finish in the opening race of the season before retiring in Bahrain.
Since then he’s run in free practice one for Haas and Sauber, and competed in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with AF Corse.
“This is a dream come true and it is a great pleasure to have the chance to race for this team,” said Giovinazzi.
“As an Italian, it is a huge honour for me to represent a brand as iconic and successful as Afa Romeo in our sport.
I would like to thank the Scuderia Ferrari and the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team for giving me this great opportunity. I am very motivated and cannot wait to start working towards achieving great results together.”
Giovinazzi has enjoyed a strong junior career up until this point. He finished second in the 2015 European Formula 3 championship, behind Felix Rosenqvist, and on the Masters of Formula 3 race the same year. From there he progressed to GP2, where he again finished second, this time behind Red Bull backed Pierre Gasly.
Despite having now spent two years without a full time seat, Sauber team boss Frederic Vasseur is confident Giovinazzi will continue his success next season.
“Together with Alfa Romeo, we are delighted to welcome Antonio Giovinazzi, who will take the place of Charles Leclerc,” he said.
“We have already had the opportunity to work with him in the past and he has proven to have great potential. We are very determined and motivated. Our target is to continue progressing and fighting together for positions that count.”
He added that Kimi Raikkonen, who has already been confirmed, will be crucial to helping develop the team.
Marcus Ericsson, who has raced with Sauber since 2015, will continue as a reserve driver for the team.
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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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