Ferrari are set to share their reserve driver seat for the F1 2023 season between two drivers. After failing to land himself a permanent driver’s seat for the upcoming season, Antonio Giovinazzi has been announced as in the reserve driver lineup for Ferrari in the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship on Tuesday.

Giovinazzi will primarily focus on the sportscar programme following which he will return to Le Mans during the 2023 calendar. However, he will also continue in his role for Ferrari as their F1 reserve driver throughout the year. The news was reported by Autosport sister publication, Motorsport.com Italy.

Giovinazzi spent three years with Alfa Romeo Racing as their full time driver before he was let go in 2021. After losing his seat, the 29-year-old became a reserve driver for Ferrari last year.

The Italian motorsport racing driver had shared the role of reserve driver with Mick Schumacher, who also drove for Haas during the season. Schumacher has since cut ties with Ferrari and Haas and has become the reserve driver for Mercedes.

Initially there were rumours that Giovinazzi would take up the seat vacated by Schumacher at Haas for the upcoming season. However, his chances began to fade as the months continued to pass and they were hardly helped by a crash early in practice for the United States Grand Prix. Eventually, the opportunity never arose as Haas decided to proceed with former Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg instead.

Confirmation of Giovinazzi as Ferrari’s Le Mans Hypercar line-up on Tuesday came as little surprise, marking his return to Le Mans after a one-off appearance in the GTE-Pro class for AF Corse in 2018.

He will race alongside GTE-Pro champions James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi in the #51 Ferrari 499P this year.

Giovinazzi will not be the only reserve driver for Ferrari for the upcoming season. When the Italian will be busy racing in the WEC rounds that clash with F1 weekends, Robert Shwartzman is set to slot in for him and take over the role of reserve driver at the Scuderia. He had spent the year 2022 as their test and development driver after two seasons spent in Formula 2.