Giovinazzi in frame for Ferrari F1 role

2016 GP2 Series runner-up Antonio Giovinazzi would be about to become Ferrari's third and reserve driver for the 2017 season, according to reports in the Italian press.

The 23-year-old impressed for his rookie campaign in Formula One’s official feeder series, taking a season-best five wins and narrowly missing out on the title against his more experienced team-mate Pierre Gasly.

Giovinazzi already spent time in Ferrari’s F1 simulator last September following an impressive weekend at Monza.

La Gazetta dello Sport now reports that the Italian ace should be added to the Ferrari Driver Academy, which already includes the likes of Charles Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco, and take on the third driver role that has been occupied by former Toro Rosso racer Jean-Eric Vergne since 2014.

Giovinazzi’s name has also been linked to Manor, which is currently seeking a fresh investment deal. One of the potential buyers would be KFC’s Indonesian branch Jagonya Ayam, which has been sponsoring several teams in the junior categories and backing Giovinazzi’s carreer.

Besides his GP2 commitment, the Italian driver also competed in the Asian and European Le Mans Series, as well as the flagship World Endurance Championship, at the wheel of Jagonya Ayam-liveried LMP2 cars in 2016.

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