Ferrari mulling a full junior driver 2018 line-up at Sauber

©WRI2

40

Ferrari is in negotiations with Sauber to place not one, but both its top junior drivers with the Swiss outfit next season.

With Antonio Giovinazzi and Charles Leclerc no longer having anything to prove in the lower echelons of racing, Ferrari considers both its protégés are ready for the big time.

With Sauber the only available opportunity to graduate the Scuderia's hopefuls, team boss Maurizio Arrivabene traveled to Hinwil last week along with Ferrari President Sergio Marchionne to discuss a potential Giovinazzi/Leclerc line-up.

"We need space because we have a couple of young drivers that are exceptional,"said Marchionne.

"We need to find a place to lay the foundations for the Scuderia Ferrari of tomorrow."

Sauber to ramp up workforce at Hinwil

Sauber team boss Fred Vasseur has expressed his interest in running either junior driver with the support of Ferrari, the team's technical partner although he cast aside the notion that the Swiss squad will be the Scuderia's de facto 'B' team.

Ferrari's plans obviously put into doubt the future of Sauber's current drivers.

While Pascal Wehrlein's chances of racing in F1 next year are quickly fading, it was believed that Marcus Ericsson would retain his seat given the close relationship the Swede enjoys with his benefactors Longbow Financial, which also own Sauber.

Ferrari appears to favour a grouped apprenticeship for Giovinazzi and Leclerc, a state of affairs which would perhaps help the Scuderia judge its young talent more clearly.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.