Ferrari Driver Academy

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Ferrari Driver Academy is an initiative from Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari to promote young talent inside its own organisation, with several drivers being selected and funded by the team, being under long-term contracts.[1]

History[]

The idea of the concept came from Felipe Massa's grooming within the Ferrari organisation, with the Brazilian being loaned out to Sauber for three seasons whilst being under contract with Ferrari. Jules Bianchi became the first recruit to the scheme in December 2009, being followed by Mirko Bortolotti, Daniel Zampieri and Raffaele Marciello in March 2010.[2] In late 2010, Ferrari confirmed Sergio Pérez had been signed up to the scheme, the Mexican being set to be its first graduate to Formula One competition, having already signed for Ferrari-powered Sauber days before the announcement.[3][4] Pérez ceased being a member of the Academy after signing to McLaren in 2013. Bianchi also ceased being a member in July 2015 after dying from injuries he sustained at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix while racing for the Ferrari-powered Marussia team. Lance Stroll ceased being a member following his departure to Williams. Marciello ceased to be a member for personal reasons.

After rumours of the academy being disbanded, it was announced that the programme would be expanded with Massimo Rivola as its new head. On 23 June 2015, Antonio Fuoco had his first Formula One test with Ferrari during the 2-day post-Austrian Grand Prix test in Spielberg at the Red Bull Ring. In March 2016, it was announced that Charles Leclerc would be inducted into the Ferrari Driver Academy. In November of that year, Enzo Fittipaldi was among five drivers invited to join the Ferrari Driver Academy and was confirmed as a Ferrari Driver Academy member alongside Marcus Armstrong the following month. In late 2017 Ferrari added Callum Ilott, Robert Shwartzman and Gianluca Petecof to their line-up. Mick Schumacher, the son of multiple Formula One World champion Michael Schumacher was added to the lineup in 2019.

In September 2018, it was announced Leclerc would become the first academy member to graduate to Ferrari in 2019.[5]

Mick Schumacher graduated to F1 with Haas F1 after winning the 2020 Formula 2 Championship, while Championship runner-up Callum Ilott was given a test and reserve driver role at Scuderia Ferrari. After 2020 three drivers left the academy: Giuliano Alesi, Enzo Fittipaldi and reigning Formula Regional European Champion Gianluca Petecof, meanwhile Australian karter James Wharton joined it after winning the Ferrari Scouting competition.[6]

In January 2021, Maya Weug, 16, became the first female driver to join the academy.[7] In Autumn of 2021 Ferrari added European Karting vice-champion Rafael Câmara and Italian F4 and ADAC F4 champion Ollie Bearman to their lineup, after the pair won the Ferrari's Scouting World Final.[8]

Following the second running of the Girls On Track – Rising Stars competition Laura Camps Torras was signed to the setup.[9]

Current drivers[]

Driver Years Current Series Titles as FDA member
New Zealand Marcus Armstrong 2017– FIA Formula 2 Championship Italian F4 Championship
United Kingdom Callum Ilott[10] 2017– GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
FIA World Endurance Championship
IndyCar Series 		none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Russia Robert Shwartzman[11] 2017– FIA Formula 2 Championship Toyota Racing Series
FIA Formula 3 Championship
Germany Mick Schumacher 2019– Formula One World Championship Formula 2 Championship
Monaco Arthur Leclerc 2020– FIA Formula 3 Championship none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Sweden Dino Beganovic 2020– F3 Asian Championship
Formula Regional European Championship 		none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Australia James Wharton 2021– Italian F4 Championship none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Belgium Maya Weug 2021– Italian F4 Championship
ADAC F4 Championship 		none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
United Kingdom Oliver Bearman 2022– FIA Formula 3 Championship none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Brazil Rafael Câmara 2022– Italian F4 Championship none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Spain Laura Camps Torras 2022– TBA none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Source:[12][13][14][15]

FDA Esports Team[]

Driver Joined Since Current Series Titles as FDA member
Italy David Tonizza 2019– F1 Esports
SRO GT Esports 		F1 Esports (2019)
SRO GT Esports Europe Endurance Cup (2021)
United Kingdom Brendon Leigh 2021– none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Italy Giovanni De Salvo 2020– SRO GT Esports Ferrari Esports Series
SRO GT Esports Europe Endurance Cup (2021)
Italy Domenico Lovece 2021– F1 Esports none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Denmark Kasper Stoltze 2021– Le Mans Virtual Series none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Netherlands Jordy Zwiers 2021– none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Denmark Martin Dyrlund 2021– none as Ferrari Driver Academy member
Hungary Bence Szabó-Kónyi 2021– F1 Esports none as Ferrari Driver Academy member

Former drivers[]

Driver Years Series competed as Ferrari Driver Academy member F1 team(s)
France Jules Bianchi 2009–2014 Formula 3 Euro Series (2009)
GP2 Series (2010–2011)
Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2012)
Formula One (2013–2014) 		Marussia (2013–2014)
Italy Mirko Bortolotti 2010 GP3 Series (2010) None
Italy Daniel Zampieri 2010 Formula Renault 3.5 Series (2010) None
Mexico Sergio Pérez 2010–2012 GP2 Series (2010)
Formula One (2011–2012) 		Sauber (2011–2012)
McLaren (2013)
Force India (2014–2018)
Racing Point (2019–2020)
Red Bull Racing (2021–present)
France Brandon Maïsano 2010–2012 Formula Abarth (2010)
Italian Formula Three Championship (2011–2012) 		None
Canada Lance Stroll 2010–2015 Karting (2010–2013)
Italian F4 Championship (2014)
Toyota Racing Series (2015)
FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2015–2016) 		Williams (2017–2018)
Racing Point (2019–2020)
Aston Martin (2021–)
Italy Raffaele Marciello 2010–2015 Formula Abarth (2010)
Italian Formula Three Championship (2011)
Toyota Racing Series (2012)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2012)
FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2012–2013)
GP2 Series (2014–2015) 		None
Italy Antonio Fuoco 2013–2018 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps (2013)
FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2014)
GP3 Series (2015–2016)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2017–2018) 		None
China Guanyu Zhou[16] 2014–2018 Italian F4 Championship (2015)
ADAC Formula 4 (2015)
Toyota Racing Series (2016)
FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2016–2018) 		Alfa Romeo (2022-)
Monaco Charles Leclerc[17] 2016–2017 GP3 Series (2016)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2017) 		Sauber (2018)
Ferrari (2019–present)
France Giuliano Alesi[18][19] 2016–2021 GP3 Series (2016–2018)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2019–2020) 		None
Brazil Gianluca Petecof[20] 2017–2021 Italian F4 Championship (2018–2019)
ADAC Formula 4 (2018–2019)
Formula Regional European Championship (2020) 		None
Brazil Enzo Fittipaldi 2017–2021 ADAC Formula 4 (2017–2018)
Italian F4 Championship (2017–2018)
Formula Regional European Championship (2019)
FIA Formula 3 Championship (2020) 		None
Colombia Sebastian Montoya 2018 Karting (2018) None
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

Former FDA Esports drivers[]

Driver Years Series competed in Titles as FDA Esports member
Italy Amos Laurito 2019 F1 Esports () None
Italy Gianfranco Giglioli 2019 None
Italy Enzo Bonito 2020 F1 Esports (2020) None
Slovakia Filip Prešnajder 2020 None

Esports[]

In 2019 Ferrari established the FDA Esports Team to compete in the Formula One Esports Series.[21] Their first championship victory came that same year, with Italian David Tonizza winning the drivers' championship.[22]

In 2021 two-time Esports champion Brendon Leigh joined the team from Mercedes to partner Tonizza. They finished 4th in the teams' championship on 125 points with 1 win and 2 podiums, both from Tonizza.

Complete F1 Esports Series results[]

Year Chassis Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Points WCC
Ferrari SF90 BHR CHN AZE CAN RBR GBR GER BEL ITA JPN USA BRA 184 3rd
Italy David Tonizza 1 1 3 8 1 5 3 4 3 4 6 2
Italy Amos Laurito 16 16 13 19 16 19 17 20 17
Italy Gianfranco Giglioli 17 16 15
2020 Ferrari SF1000 BHR VIE CHN NED CAN RBR GBR BEL ITA JPN MEX BRA 100 5th
Italy David Tonizza 20 1 19 11 Ret 10 5 8 1 7 Ret 6
Italy Enzo Bonito 14 7 20 10 11 11 8 5 14 11 19
Slovakia Filip Prešnajder 11
Ferrari SF21 BHR CHN RBR GBR ITA BEL POR NED USA EMI MEX BRA 125 4th
Italy David Tonizza 9 14 5 10 15 3 6 5 5 1 9
United Kingdom Brendon Leigh 12 6 8 6 19 18 17 9 11 5 5 18
Italy Domenico Lovece 11

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Elizalde, Pablo (18 December 2009). "Ferrari sets up young driver academy". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  2. ^ Beer, Matt (6 March 2010). "Ferrari expands young driver academy". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  3. ^ Noble, Jonathan (8 October 2010). "Perez joins Ferrari young driver scheme". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  4. ^ "FDA testing at Fiorano: on track with Formula 3 today and F1 Thursday". Ferrari.com. 12 September 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  5. ^ "Charles Leclerc to drive for Scuderia Ferrari in 2019". Scuderia Ferrari. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  6. ^ Allen, Peter (9 December 2020). "James Wharton wins Ferrari Driver Academy scouting shootout". Formula Scout. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  7. ^ George Ramsay. "Maya Weug becomes first female driver to earn a spot in the Ferrari Driver Academy". CNN. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  8. ^ Gascoigne, Roger (8 November 2021). "Bearman and Camara signed by Ferrari Driver Academy for 2022". Formula Scout. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Laura Camps Torras wins Girls on Track – Rising Stars and a place in the Ferrari Driver Academy". www.ferrari.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Ilott is first British driver to join FDA". pitpass.com. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  11. ^ Wood, Elliot (24 October 2017). "Robert Shwartzman added to Ferrari Driver Academy". formulascout.com. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  12. ^ Mitchell, Scott (19 January 2019). "Ferrari adds Schumacher to F1 junior programme". motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  13. ^ "Arthur Leclerc and Dino Beganovic for the Scuderia's young driver programme". 17 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  14. ^ Smith, Luke (8 November 2021). "British youngster Bearman joins Ferrari Driver Academy". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Joining the Ferrari Driver Academy and winner of #GirlsOnTrack Senior competition… Laura Camps Torras". Twitter. Ferrari Driver Academy. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Scuderia Ferrari: new from China". Ferrari.com. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  17. ^ Costa, Massimo (25 November 2015). "Esclusivo Leclerc nuovo pilota del Ferrari Driver Academy (Exclusive Leclerc new pilot of the Ferrari Driver Academy)". Italiaracing. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  18. ^ "Alesi's F1 dream fades over funding issues". Planet F1. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Giuliano Alesi leaves the Ferrari Driver Academy and F2". Formula Scout. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  20. ^ "Ferrari adds Brazilian karter Gianluca Petecof to Driver Academy | Formula Scout". www.formulascout.com. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  21. ^ "Ten Teams Confirmed For 2019 F1 New Balance Esports Series". 31 May 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  22. ^ "Tonizza And Red Bull Crowned Champions! 2019 F1 Esports Grand Final Report". 5 December 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2021.

External links[]

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