Scuderia Ferrari has made its decision, and in Mexico, Antonio Fuoco will be behind the wheel of one of the two SF-25 cars. Let’s discover who he is and how he reached this milestone in his career.
Almost every Formula 1 team has chosen the Mexican Grand Prix weekend to complete the mandatory FIA rookie tests during FP1. Ferrari will take part by putting Italian driver Antonio Fuoco in the car, replacing Lewis Hamilton for the session. Here’s everything you need to know about his journey through the ranks of motorsport.
Born in Calabria in 1996, Antonio Fuoco is one of the most solid Italian talents to emerge from Ferrari’s development program. He began racing karts at just four years old and quickly made a name for himself in international categories. His breakthrough came in Formula Renault 2.0 Alps in 2013, when he claimed the championship title in his debut season with the Prema team. The following year, he stepped up to the European Formula 3 Championship, finishing fifth overall and impressing with both speed and maturity.
Since 2015, Antonio Fuoco has been an official member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, becoming one of the most representative drivers to emerge from Maranello’s junior ranks. After two seasons in GP3 with Carlin and Trident—collecting two victories and eight podiums—he moved up to FIA Formula 2 in 2017, once again with Prema. That year, he shared the garage with Charles Leclerc, who will now be his teammate for the FP1 session in Mexico.
Fuoco first got behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car in 2015, testing the Ferrari SF15-T during the post-Austrian Grand Prix test. Since then, he has taken part in several rookie and post-season test sessions, including the Young Driver Test 2020 and private trials in 2021 and 2024. Over the years, he has been a key figure in Ferrari’s development and simulator program, providing valuable technical feedback to the race team.
In parallel with his Formula 1 testing duties, Antonio Fuoco has built a successful career in GT and Endurance racing, joining Ferrari’s AF Corse program in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). He became one of the leading figures in Ferrari’s return to top-level endurance racing, driving the 499P Hypercar. With car number 50, he secured several pole positions and, most importantly, celebrated a historic victory at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans.
After years of hard work behind the scenes and major achievements in endurance racing, Antonio Fuoco now returns to Formula 1 action, driving the Ferrari SF-25 during the FP1 session at the Mexican Grand Prix. His participation marks another important step in Ferrari’s testing program and gives the Italian driver a chance to demonstrate his pace at the highest level of motorsport.
Antonio Fuoco won’t be the only rookie on track, as seven other young drivers will also take the place of full-time competitors during FP1, setting the stage for an exciting and unpredictable session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
