F2 racer Correa to get first taste of Formula 1 machinery alongside Calderon

Alfa Romeo’s development driver and current Formula 2 racer Juan Manuel Correa will get his first ever taste of F1 machinery later this week when he tests a V8-powered, 2013-spec Sauber C32 at France’s Circuit Paul Ricard.

American driver Correa, currently sitting 12th in the 2019 Formula 2 standings having recorded two podiums so far this season, will line up for Alfa Romeo Racing alongside the team’s test driver Tatiana Calderon, who was handed her own first F1 test last year at Mexico’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, behind the wheel of a 2018-spec Sauber C37.

“Driving a Formula 1 car is something I have dreamt about since I was seven years old, so I am extremely excited to finally be in the cockpit,” said Correa. “I am looking forward to learning as much as possible from this experience.”

“Our team has a proud history of nurturing young talent and we take this part of our mission very seriously,” said Alfa Romeo Team Principal Frederic Vasseur.

“Both Juan Manuel and Tatiana have proven to be valuable members of our team, working with us at the factory and trackside, and this opportunity in the car will help them progress even further in their understanding of Formula 1 and in building their relationship with the engineers and crew.”

Calderon and Correa will take to the Paul Ricard track on August 23 and 24, ahead of Formula 2's return at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit on August 31.