Antonio Giovinazzi to Run Monza, COTA Free Practice Sessions with Haas F1 Team

Antonio Giovinazzi will take part in two free practice sessions later this year with the Haas F1 Team, with the Italian being linked with a full-time return to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with the team next season.

Giovinazzi lost his seat with Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN at the end of the 2021 season after three seasons, and he has been racing this year in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with Dragon/Penske Autosport, albeit with very limited success.

However, he has previously hoped that his time in Formula 1 was not over, and he will get the chance to jump in the VF-22 for Haas in both the Italian and United States Grand Prix.

It is a return to Haas for Giovinazzi, who spent the 2017 season acting as their reserve driver and participating in seven free practice sessions across the year.  And the return to the team this year could potentially see him replace Mick Schumacher within Haas in 2023.

“I’m so glad to have the chance to drive again in official F1 sessions,” said Giovinazzi, who will replace Schumacher in one of the free practice session and Kevin Magnussen the other. “Besides simulator driving it is important to test a true car and I can’t wait to put my suit and helmet back on.

“It’ll be an opportunity to get confident with the new generation cars – it’s the best way to be ready if I were called as reserve driver. Driving on challenging and exciting tracks as Monza and COTA makes it even more thrilling.

“Thanks to Haas F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari – I’m looking forward to giving my contribution to the team that counted on me already in 2017.”

Guenther Steiner, the Team Principal at Haas, says the team were happy to give Giovinazzi some track time in their 2022 machinery as per the request of Scuderia Ferrari, and he is keen to get the feedback from the Italian at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza and the Circuit of the Americas.

“We’re happy to welcome Antonio Giovinazzi back to the team for the two FP1 outings,” said Steiner. “Ferrari were keen to give Antonio some seat time in a current-spec Formula 1 car on a race weekend and we were naturally happy to assist.

“We enjoyed a similar situation back in 2017 with Antonio and Ferrari – the clear difference between then and now is the experience he’ll have gained competing for the previous three seasons in Formula 1 and the feedback he’ll be able to give us in Italy and America.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Antonio again and having him back in the paddock with us.”

Antonio Giovinazzi competed in seven free practice sessions with Haas in 2017 – Credit: Octane Photographic Ltd