The Ferrari Driver Academy unveils its 2021 squad

Launched in 2009, the Ferrari Driver Academy formalized its 2021 promotion this Monday. The latter includes a good part of the 2020 workforce with a few departures and 2 arrivals. 

Mick Schumacher will be the spearhead of the new vintage. The German, winner of the championship Formula 2 in 2020, was promoted to F1 and will start in the premier category within the client team Haas. 

His main rival last year, Callum Ilott, was named the Scuderia's official test driver. At the same time, the Briton will take part in some of the most prestigious GT races in the world with Ferrari. 

The FDA will have a pair of protégés in Formula 2 this year. The Russian Robert Shwartzman, author of 4 victories last year with Prema, has returned to the Italian structure and will logically aim for the title. He is accompanied in the Grand Prix antechamber by New Zealander Marcus Armstrong, who joined the French DAMS team in the off-season. 

Vice-champion of Formula Regionale (FREC) in 2020, Arthur Leclerc climbs Formula 3 where he will also defend the colors of Prema, Ferrari's strong arm in the promotion categories. 

Swede Dino Beganovic, who is currently competing in F3 Asia in the Middle East, joins the FREC after making encouraging first steps in single-seaters last year in the Italian F4 championship. 

In 2021, the FDA welcomes Maya Weug, who recently won the all-female “Girls on Track – Rising Stars” competition, a detection program organized in partnership with the FIA. The 100-year-old Dutchwoman will progress at the F16 level.

Finally, the last member of the FDA, the Australian James Wharton, will continue to evolve in karting because he is not yet old enough to move into single-seaters. However, he will have a specific preparation program to move to the next level. 

Everyone dreams of following in the footsteps of Charles Leclerc, trained at the Maranello school and today a Grand Prix star at Ferrari.

On the departure side, the FDA recorded those of the Frenchman Giuliano Alesi, leaving for Japan, as well as the Brazilians Gianluca Petecof, 2020 FREC champion promoted directly to F2 with Campos Racing, and Enzo Fittipaldi, who headed to West and the Indy Pro 2000.