Ferrari: silence on who will be the rookie in first practice at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. We had written that Antonio Fuoco would drive the Ferrari SF-24 in FP1 of the Abu Dhabi GP.

Is this news turning into a case? We had written that Antonio Fuoco would drive the Ferrari SF-24 in FP1 of the Abu Dhabi GP, because in the meantime, Oliver Bearman, who had been the designated rookie in the team’s plans, lost his “rookie” status after competing in his third race of the season with Haas, replacing regular driver Kevin Magnussen, who was unable to drive the VF-24 in Interlagos due to illness.

Ollie had already replaced the Dane during the Azerbaijan GP, as Magnussen had been penalized with a race ban for exceeding the 12-point limit on his Super License due to the double penalty he received in Monza.

The Englishman had also made his F1 debut during the second race of the season in Jeddah, when Carlos Sainz was struck by an appendicitis attack that required urgent surgery.

Thanks to his second-place finish in the World Endurance Championship drivers’ standings with the Ferrari 499P, the winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans earned the FIA points required to obtain his F1 Super License. The Calabrian driver, therefore, achieved the status to potentially become a reserve driver, considering that Oliver Bearman has joined Haas for 2025 and Robert Shwartzman has chosen to race in America in Indycar.

However, the fact that Antonio was called for a test at Fiorano with the F1-75 last Friday raised the possibility that Antonio Fuoco could be used in FP1 in Abu Dhabi: according to a Ferrari source who contacted us, the session on the home track was only for the Italian to get familiar with a real F1 car, as he is one of the most active drivers in the simulator alongside Arthur Leclerc and Davide Rigon. We had understood, however, that the test could have served to allow the Italian to reach the necessary mileage (300 km) to drive at the first event where he would be needed.

At Maranello, they are withholding confirmation on who will be the rookie driving the SF-24 in Abu Dhabi, but it’s easy to think that it could be Charles Leclerc’s younger brother, who already made an impression during the WEC rookie tests with the 499P. Arthur has a good understanding of Ferrari cars as a development driver. The presence of both Leclerc brothers on track together could also serve as a great draw.

We’re waiting for the team to clarify things, and perhaps Antonio Fuoco could make an appearance in the tests following the Abu Dhabi GP. For now, it’s only a hope that would crown the fantastic season of the Italian driver…

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