Arthur Leclerc to join brother Charles at Ferrari for Abu Dhabi FP1

Ferrari has introduced its growth driver Arthur Leclerc will substitute Carlos Sainz throughout first free follow at Method 1’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, forming a singular line-up together with his elder brother Charles.

As a part of F1’s requirement to enter a rookie driver in two FP1 periods, Ferrari has opted handy Sainz’s Ferrari SF-24 to the youthful of the 2 Leclerc brothers on the Yas Marina circuit.

Like his brother earlier than him, Leclerc got here via the ranks as a part of the Ferrari academy. After reasonably profitable campaigns in F3 and F2, the 24-year-old stepped again from single-seater racing this 12 months, specializing in supporting the F1 crew as a growth driver in its Maranello simulator. 

He has additionally performed two exams for Ferrari this 12 months; one in January in Barcelona on the behest of Pirelli, and an FIA take a look at at Fiorano in Might to trial the in the end unsuccessful spray guard prototypes.

Leclerc additionally competed within the European Le Mans Collection, taking an LMP2 race win for Panis Racing by TDS, and received the Italian GT Championship in a Ferrari 296GT alongside former F1 racer Giancarlo Fisichella and Tommaso Mosca.

Arthur Leclerc, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Picture by: Carl Bingham / Aston Martin

They would be the first brothers to share the monitor in a grand prix session since Michael and Ralf Schumacher, who raced one another for 10 consecutive seasons between 1997 and 2006.

Ferrari is bidding farewell to Sainz this weekend, with the Spaniard becoming a member of his new crew Williams from Tuesday’s post-season take a look at onwards after 4 seasons on the Scuderia, which yielded 4 wins and 6 pole positions.

The crew, which can welcome seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton subsequent 12 months, nonetheless has an opportunity to dethrone McLaren within the constructors’ championship, with the papaya squad heading into the 2024 season finale with a 21-point lead.