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Ferrari keen to promote young drivers in 2018

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne says the team is 'looking around' for its driver options beyond next season but stressed the Italian manufacturer is keen to promote its young drivers.

Earlier this week, Ferrari signed GP2 Series runner-up Antonio Giovinazzi as reserve and test driver for 2017 who joins the Ferrari junior driver set-up alongside Charles Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco.

With Sebastian Vettel's and Kimi Raikkonen's existing contracts both expiring at the end of 2017, Ferrari has the option to shake-up its driver line-up in 2018 and Marchionne has given both his current drivers a stark reminder if it endures another winless campaign.

As well as focusing on the current F1 driver market, Marchionne stressed its young drivers could be in contention if they meet their targets in 2017.

"I don't know what Kimi would like to do after 2017," Marchionne said on Sky Sports. "Of course we are looking around but we have also some interesting young drivers like Antonio Fuoco, who has done a great job in the simulator, Charles Leclerc who has won GP3 and Giovinazzi, who becomes our third driver to work in the simulator and we hope will have some chances to drive in Friday practice with Sauber."

Ferrari retains the same driver line-up of Vettel and Raikkonen for a third consecutive season in 2017 after the Finn was handed a new one-year deal last summer, while Vettel will see out the final year of his existing contract. 

Zdroj: crash.net