Antonelli and Bearman to join Super Formula test

Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman will participate in subsequent week’s Tremendous Method check at Suzuka to assist be taught the observe.

With subsequent 12 months’s Japanese Grand Prix being the third race of the season, following Australia and China, any data they will get of the venue shall be a giant benefit for his or her rookie seasons.

And whereas one path to get some expertise could be to check a earlier F1 automotive, the logistical issues and expense of that doesn’t make a lot sense.

As a substitute, each drivers have been confirmed for subsequent week’s official Tremendous Method check, which runs at Suzuka from 11-13 December.

Bearman shall be out there from the off as a result of, having taken half in three grands prix this 12 months, he’s not eligible to be a rookie driver for the Abu Dhabi F1 check that takes place subsequent Tuesday.

As a substitute, Haas shall be operating with 2025 driver Esteban Ocon and Toyota improvement driver Ryo Hirakawa.

Antonelli, nonetheless, won’t be operating in Suzuka till Friday as a result of he’s driving within the Abu Dhabi tyre check on Tuesday.

He’ll drive alongside George Russell for the Tuesday run, together with his team-mate being the designated tyre tester. He’ll then fly to Japan to run on the ultimate day of motion.

Tremendous Method has but to announce the groups with which Antonelli and Bearman shall be collaborating within the Suzuka check.

 Bearman FP1 plan

Bearman had initially been set to run in FP1 for Haas in Abu Dhabi, to additional increase his expertise forward of his full-time commencement subsequent 12 months.

Nevertheless, workforce boss Ayao Komatsu stated the squad modified its plan on this entrance due to the ultra-close battle it’s in with Alpine for sixth place within the constructors’ championship. The 2 groups are separated by simply 5 factors heading into the ultimate spherical.

Talking concerning the choice, Komatsu stated: “Oliver was scheduled to drive FP1 right here however then clearly he had had two races with us – in Baku after which Interlagos.

“Then this weekend we simply knew it [the constructors’ championship fight] was going to go all the best way all the way down to the wire. So for me, it did not make sense to have somebody solely in for FP1 – even any person who was good and our future.

“We simply needed to maintain this weekend as constant as doable, so whoever was beginning FP1 needs to be racing.”

The information of Bearman becoming a member of the Suzuka check follows Haas signing a technical partnership with Toyota in October. The Japanese producer is without doubt one of the two engine suppliers in Tremendous Method and fields various manufacturing unit drivers within the sequence by way of its affiliated groups.