Giovinazzi gearing up for 'easier' race weekend

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Antonio Giovinazzi will be deputising once again for a still unfit Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber, and the young Italian is looking forward to his second F1 outing.

The Ferrari reserve driver will at least have the benefit of preparing for his race weekend rather than jump into his Sauber on short notice as was the case in Australia.

"It was quite a late call [for Australia], but I really enjoyed everything I did, from FP3, to qualifying, to the race," said Giovinazzi, as he reflected on his Grand Prix debut.

"To be here now, starting from FP1, it will be a lot easier.

"The result we had in Melbourne was a good result. To improve the result from Melbourne I think would be to score a point. It will be difficult, but I will try my best."

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On a track which offers more margin for error and taking into account the lessons learned in Melbourne, the young Italian will be looking to put his impressive skills to good use.

"My strong part in GP2 was the race, saving the tyres," he added.

"In Melbourne I had not much experience, so maybe I was too slow in the beginning of the run, but of course here I will improve.

"To have FP1 and FP2, it will be good to see how is the degradation."

For now, as Wehrlein's situation appears fluid, Giovinazzi and Sauber are taking things on a race-by-race basis.

"I had a call on Tuesday and I'm here to race for Sauber. From next week I will be back in red, for Ferrari, but then we'll see. Not yet [any news on Bahrain]."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.