Ousted Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez has joined Ferrari as their official test and reserve driver for the 2015 season, the Italian team confirmed on Monday.
The Mexican has driven Ferrari powered cars for two seasons in F1 with Sauber, but was dropped ahead of next season in favour of Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson.
However he won’t be missing from the paddock entirely after joining Ferrari where he will “be put to good use in the area of car development,” and as a reserve driver should Kimi Raikkonen or Sebastian Vettel find themselves unable to race.
“While confirming our full confidence in a formidable race driver pairing, made up of four times World Champion Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, a past champion with Ferrari, I am pleased to welcome Esteban Gutierrez,” commented new team principal Maurizio Arrivabene.
“We are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to Esteban who, although young, has plenty of experience relating to the new generation of Formula 1 cars. I am sure that, with his experience, he will make an important contribution to the development work of the team in the simulator.
“Welcoming Esteban also means opening the gates of Ferrari to a driver from Mexico, a country where the Scuderia still has a lot of fans, just as was the case fifty years ago in the days of the Rodriguez brothers.”
Speaking about his position, the 23-year-old added: “It is an honour to become part of the Scuderia Ferrari family, a Team with such an exceptional history.
“It is for me the beginning of a new path for my future and I’m going to do my utmost to contribute to the achievement of the targets set by the Scuderia. I want to thank everybody for their belief in my potential; this will bring a great opportunity for me to develop further and get to the top in the near future. With all my passion and dedication, I’m now looking forward to the start of this new venture.”
Discussion about this post