Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has confirmed the Ferrari Driver Academy [FDA] will be his first stop when looking at rookie drivers for the first practice session of race weekends in the 2022 Formula One season.
Formula 1 managing director motorsports Ross Brawn confirmed in September that teams will have to give rookies the opportunity to drive in a number of first practice sessions starting from next year. One one hand this allows teams with young driver programmes such as Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari to create chances for their emerging talented drivers, but other teams like Haas, who do not have a Driver Academy programme, will have to find other options:
“At the moment, if that should be written into the regulations, we obviously have to run rookies and I would think it would be Ferrari drivers,” Guenther Steiner confirmed – “I haven’t spoken to Ferrari [about] who they have got next year and if they have got somebody I have no idea, but I would say that would be the first pick.” – he added.
Currently, Haas runs Ferrari Driver Academy member Mick Schumacher in one of its two race seats, as the German driver has also been confirmed for next season. Regarding the options for FP1 in 2022, Haas will be able to choose from Callum Ilott, Marcus Armstrong, Robert Shwartzman and Arthur Leclerc.
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