Remember when… McLaren’s new boy tested for STR

As part of a daily series in the run-up to the start of pre-season, Motorsport Week brings you brief left-field reflections and stories of teams, drivers and reserve/test drivers that will be part of the Formula 1 paddock in 2019.

No, not that new recruit, the other one.

Lando Norris will join Carlos Sainz Jr. in McLaren’s driver line-up and as a replacement for their reserve-turned-racer the team has signed Norris’ 2018 Formula 2 team-mate Sérgio Sette Câmara.

The Brazilian will continue to compete in Formula 1’s feeder series in 2019, switching from Carlin to DAMS, and is likely to get behind the wheel of McLaren’s MCL34 later in the year.

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But if he does get handed a chance by McLaren it won’t be his first experience of Formula 1 machinery.

Sette Câmara’s form in Formula 3 through 2015 caught the attention of Red Bull and for 2016 he was signed to its young driver scheme. Formula 1 stayed on after the British Grand Prix for two days of in-season testing and Sette Câmara was drafted in to test for Toro Rosso, his chance aided by the regulations deeming that 50 per cent of in-season test days must be carried out by young drivers, with Pierre Gasly on that day needed by Red Bull.

Sette Câmara completed 82 laps of Silverstone in the Ferrari-powered STR11 and wound up ninth-fastest from the 11 participants. On the previous day the car had been driven by none other than Sainz Jr.

Sette Câmara was dropped by Red Bull at the end of a so-so 2016 Formula 3 campaign but he nonetheless made the step up to Formula 2 for 2017, linking up with MP Motorsport, and made the move across to Carlin for 2018. His intelligence and feedback was highly rated by both Carlin and team-mate Norris, and while he will line up in DAMS colours this year, he will retain a close association with Norris through his new role at McLaren.