Ferrari confirms Schumacher for post-Bahrain GP test!

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Ferrari has confirmed that Mick Schumacher will test for the Scuderia next week in Bahrain, while Alfa Romeo will also give the young German a run at Sakhir.

The post-Bahrain Grand Prix in-season test will see Schumacher drive the Italian outfit's SF90 on Tuesday while Sebastian Vettel will take over testing duties on the second day.

Die-hard Ferrari and Michael Schumacher fans will undoubtedly celebrate next Tuesday's special event which will see a Ferrari roll out of the pitlane with a Schumacher onboard for the first time since Brazil in 2006.

The 20-year-old German driver's busy schedule will also include a full day of testing with Alfa Romeo Racing on Wednesday.

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"I am obviously more than excited and would like to thank Ferrari for giving me this opportunity," said Schumacher, a member of the Ferrari Drivers Academy.

"I am really looking forward to what I’m sure will be a great experience.

"But for the moment, I am consciously putting all thoughts of the test to one side, because I am also very much looking forward to competing in my first F2 race and would like to focus a hundred percent on the weekend to come."

Ferrari also announced that British hopeful and fellow FDA member Callum Ilott, who will be racing in F2 this season with the Sauber junior Team, will enjoy a run with Alfa Romeo Racing at the second in-season test scheduled in Barcelona on May 14-15.

"We are firm believers in the value of the Ferrari Driver Academy, as a high level training programme for talented youngsters and the decision to give Charles Leclerc a race seat with our team is proof of that," said Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.

"We are therefore very pleased to be able to give Mick and Callum the opportunity to experience driving a Formula 1 car.

"Mick, who joined the FDA in January, and Callum, who has been with us since 2017, are definitely drivers on their way up and I believe that driving the SF90 in an official setting such as the tests in Bahrain and Barcelona can be very useful at this stage in their career."

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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.