Ferrari confirm Bearman as reserve and Leclerc as development driver

Ahead of the start of the 2024 F1 season, Ferrari have confirmed the additions to the ranks of their Reserve and Development drivers with Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc set to work in support of race drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz over the course of the season.

Ferrari currently have two reserve drivers with Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman sharing this role. The Italian and the Russo-Israeli racing driver are also taking part in the WEC (World Endurance Championship) at the wheel of the Ferrari 499 P Hypercar, numbers 51 and 83 respectively.

The Scuderia have now revealed that Oliver Bearman will join the ranks, completing the three-driver group of reserve drivers. The Ferrari Driver Academy student races in Formula 2 with the Prema team

Furthermore, former Ferrari Academy member Arthur Leclerc, younger brother of five-time F1 race winner Charles Leclerc, is joining Antonio Fuoco and Davide Rigon in the role of Development Driver. The job entails mainly working in the simulator, on car development, set-up work and updates introduced during the season. The Monegasque is also racing this year in the Italian GT championship in a Scuderia Baldini 27. Fuoco is racing in the Hyperclass in WEC in the number 50 499 P. while Rigon races in the same series, but in the LMGT3 class in the Vista AF Corse GT3 team.

Bearman and Leclerc will start racking up miles for the Scuderia, as the team is tackling a three day Pirelli test session at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit.

On 29 and 30 January, Ferrari race driver Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc will be at the wheel of last year’s SF23, carrying out tests for the sport’s sole tyre supplier. Also on the 29th, Arthur Leclerc will get his very first taste of driving a Formula 1 car, from the cockpit of the 2022 F1-75. On Tuesday 30th, Charles Leclerc and Sainz will share both the SF23 and the F1-75, while on 31st Oliver Bearman will be alone on track in the F1-75.