Mattia Binotto expects Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and Haas F1 Team to agree to run Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott in a free practice session later this year after both were prevented from running at the Nürburgring due to the weather on Friday.
Schumacher had been set for his maiden free practice outing with Alfa Romeo in place of Antonio Giovinazzi, while Romain Grosjean was set to stand aside to allow Ilott to run with Haas, only for the weather to intervene and prevent any kind of running at all in either practice session on Friday.
Binotto, the Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari, says both Schumacher and Ilott have interest in them for potential 2021 drives, with the former seemingly likely to drive for Alfa Romeo alongside Kimi Räikkönen.
He also feels the Ferrari Driver Academy, in which Schumacher, Ilott and Robert Shwartzman (who is also lined up for a test in Abu Dhabi) are all members, is aimed at not only bringing in talent into Formula 1 but also into the Ferrari team later in their careers.
“Both are good kids, they are driving well in F2 and I think they’re of interest to the other teams,” Binotto is quoted as saying by Racer.com. “When we proposed it they were very keen to support our request to give them an opportunity and a chance, because it’s important as well to see them running in an F1 car to understand their capacity for developing for the future.
“The objective of the Ferrari Driver Academy is not only developing drivers for F1, but to find the next drivers for Scuderia Ferrari. It’s our responsibility to define what is the best path for them, and if I look at the seasons that they are doing currently in F2 I think they are almost mature enough to join F1 very soon.”
