Ferrari junior Charles Leclerc will get behind the wheel of the Haas VF-16 car during practice for the British Grand Prix in July and at a further four races this season, the American team confirmed on Thursday.
The GP3 Series driver, currently racing for the ART Grand Prix team, will take over Esteban Gutierrez's seat during first practice at the British GP to get his first taste of Formula 1 in a competitive session.
Leclerc is currently a member of Haas' technical partner's junior programme, the Ferrari Driver Academy.
As well as the British round, the 18-year-old will drive in first practice at the Hungarian, German, Malaysian and Abu Dhabi races, each time replacing Gutierrez as part of a deal with Ferrari.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to get seat time in a Formula One car and I can’t thank Haas F1 Team and Esteban enough," said Leclerc. "I’m honored by the faith Haas F1 Team and Ferrari have in me. This is an important step toward my ultimate goal of becoming a Formula One driver."
"Charles Leclerc is highly regarded by Ferrari and his record speaks for itself," said team principal Guenther Steiner. "We’re happy to provide this opportunity and help develop the next generation of Formula One drivers. Credit also goes to Esteban for sharing his racecar and serving as a mentor to Charles."
