Fabio Leimer will test for Sauber at the ‘Young Driver Test’ in Abu Dhabi, the outfit has confirmed.
The Swiss driver, 22, will join current Sauber third-driver, Esteban Gutièrrez behind the wheel for one of the three days, giving him his first taste of an F1 car.
The young driver test is open to any driver who has competed in no more than two F1 races and takes place almost immediately after the Abu Dhabi GP, between November 15th and 17th.
“We are pleased we can offer Fabio this opportunity”, said Monisha Kaltenborn, CEO of the Sauber team. “The test opportunities for young drivers are extremely limited nowadays, and it is always exciting to see how they deal with all the complexity of a Formula One test.”
Leimer, who has competed in the GP2 and GP2 Asia series, added: “When I found out that I will definitely take part in the Formula One test I realised for the first time what this actually means. Being a racing driver, of course, you always dream of Formula One. That this dream is now coming true is almost unbelievable. On top of that not many Swiss drivers have ever had the chance to test for the Sauber F1 Team. For this reason it is an even more special honour for me to be able to get my first laps in an F1 car under my belt as a Swiss for the Swiss team.
“I am very much looking forward to that challenge and want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made it possible.”
