F1 Formula 1 Ferrari Driver Academy development programme Arthur Leclerc — Arthur Leclerc

Ferrari sign Arthur Leclerc to Driver Academy

Thomas Maher 17th January 2020

1 minute read

Scuderia Ferrari have signed two new drivers to their Driver Academy, including Charles Leclerc’s younger brother Arthur.

Ferrari have signed up two new drivers to join their ever growing Driver Academy. This is the Scuderia’s race driver training and development programme, which has so far brought Jules Bianchi, Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi into Formula 1.

Interestingly, the big name signing on this occasion is another Leclerc. Arthur, younger brother of Charles, is 19 years old and has been racing in German ADAC Formel 4 where he took a win at Hockenheim in 2019.

Leclerc will join the Formula Regional series in 2020, having participated in a Ferrari evaluation camp towards the end of last year. He’ll be racing for Prema Powerteam, alongside another FDA member Gianluca Petecof.

The other signing is Swedish driver Dino Beganovic. He turns 16 on Sunday, and has been recommended to the FDA by Tony Kart after winning two Swedish titles and a P2 in the WEK Euro Series in 2019. He’ll be joining Formula 4 with Prema.

The signing of Leclerc and Beganovic takes Ferrari’s Driver Academy to nine drivers for 2020. Five of these are racing in Formula 2 this year, with Giuliano Alesi, Callum Ilott and Mick Schumacher all staying on from 2019. F3 Champion Robert Schwartzman and Marcus Armstrong both move up to F2 this year.

Behind the F2 drivers who are, in theory, next in line to move up to F1, Enzo Fittipaldi will race in Formula 3 with HWA Racelab while Ferrari’s latest recruits slot in behind him on the ladder.

“It’s been a busy winter for the Ferrari Driver Academy.” said Ferrari Sporting Director Laurent Mekies. “We have been trying to build up the best development programme for our drivers in 2020, with a significant increase in their activities and training programme at our headquarters in Maranello.”

“We have also been scouting for more talented youngsters and we are happy today to announce that Arthur and Dino are joining us for what’s going to be a very exciting season. We have FDA drivers in all the categories of the FIA single-seater ladder and our focus will be on supporting them the best we can in their development as racing drivers and as young individuals. All of us in Maranello are very much looking forward to seeing how our nine young drivers will perform over the coming months.”