From youth talent to Ferrari
Antonio Fuoco will make his first appearance during a Formula 1 weekend this weekend. He will take charge of the first free practice session as Lewis Hamilton's replacement. It is his official FP1 debut, more than a decade after his first F1 test.
Ferrari brought Fuoco in early. They signed him at the age of 16, even before he made his real single-seater debut. Immediately in his first year on the junior ladder, he grabbed the championship in Formula Renault 2.0 Alps. He beat experienced drivers like Luca Ghiotto and competed against up-and-coming names like Pierre Gasly.
In the following years, Fuoco competed against talents such as Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon. He won as early as his first Formula 3 weekend and finished that season fifth. His speed was obvious, even if consistency was sometimes lacking.
Years in GP3 and F2
Fuoco got his first F1 test with Ferrari in June 2015 at the Red Bull Ring. At the time, he was 19 and active in GP3. His first GP3 season was disappointing, but he came back strongly in 2016, finishing third in the championship behind Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon.
In 2017, he drove alongside Leclerc in Formula 2. Leclerc dominated that year. Fuoco still showed speed, but results did not always pan out. His only feature race win in 2017 came at Monza, partly due to an incident between competitors and a penalty for the initial winner. In 2018, he stayed in F2 and picked up two sprint wins. However, the chance of a permanent F1 seat seemed lost at the time.
Key link at Ferrari
Fuoco did stay with Ferrari as a simulator and development driver. His qualities on the simulator and in the car were highly appreciated. This earned him several F1 tests, including at Abu Dhabi in 2020, 2021 and 2024. In addition, he was a key driver in Ferrari's return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ferrari's benchmark in the WEC
In 2023, Fuoco made his debut in the World Endurance Championship. Immediately he showed how fast he was. He took pole at Sebring and later at Le Mans. At Le Mans, he was almost eight tenths of a second faster than teammate Alessandro Pier Guidi in qualifying. During the race, he set the fastest lap.
He later scored poles at Imola and at Spa. On pure speed, he was almost untouchable within the Ferrari programme for a long time. Only a few colleagues, such as Antonio Giovinazzi, caught up with him on that front.
Results and setbacks
Fuoco was one of the standouts in the 2023 edition of Le Mans, but mechanical failure cost him that victory. The following year, he seemed to put things right and wrote Le Mans to his name alongside Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen. However, it was later revealed that the car did not comply with the regulations due to a problem with the rear wing. That disqualification nibbled away at the title aspirations.
Fuoco also made mistakes. At Imola, all his qualifying laps were scrapped due to track limits. In the same race, he received a penalty after an incident in which he pushed Sébastien Buemi's Toyota off the track during a battle for positions. Such moments show that sometimes speed comes at the expense of patience and controlled execution.
Why this FP1 performance is deserved
This FP1 appearance does not fundamentally change Fuoco's career. He already drove hundreds of F1 kilometres in tests and on the simulator. Still, it is a public reward for years of loyal commitment at Ferrari. Being on the track with the best drivers during a Grand Prix is prestige.
Many experts see Fuoco as one of those drivers who, in different circumstances, could well have ended up in F1 in the 2010s. Timing, team choice and the quality of his generation all played a part.
- 16 years old: signed by Ferrari as a junior
- 2015: first F1 test at the Red Bull Ring
- 2016: third in GP3 championship
- 2023: WEC debut, pole at Sebring and Le Mans
- 2024: Le Mans victory (later disputed due to technical irregularity)
- 2025: FP1 debut at Mexico Grand Prix
In short: Antonio Fuoco is now getting his moment on the big F1 stage. It is not an unexpected move. It is a well-deserved reward for someone who has played an important role within Ferrari for years.
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