Sacha Fenestraz has got some proper exciting news to share. The French-Argentine simulator driver, who spent three years developing cars for Mercedes at Brackley, has confirmed that Ferrari will give him a proper go in an F1 car next year. It's a massive step up from virtual laps, and it shows just how seriously the Maranello squad takes their development work.

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Fenestraz moved to Ferrari back in July after his stint with Mercedes wound down. His new gig there is still simulator-focused, but now it comes with genuine track time attached. He's been chatting about it during Singapore race week, explaining that while a session was originally lined up to happen sooner, it got pushed back because it clashed with a Super GT race at Autopolis. No drama though, because Ferrari's made it crystal clear they're committed to getting him behind the wheel.

The test will almost certainly run under Testing of Previous Cars rules, which means Fenestraz will be driving older machinery rather than Ferrari's current race car or latest prototype. That might sound like a step down on paper, but it's actually perfect for what he needs. Simulator work is brilliant for studying data and brake points, but you can't replicate the real physical forces or steering feedback you get in an actual F1 cockpit. Getting that genuine sensation matters massive for feeding better information back into the sim work.

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What's clever here is that this isn't some ceremonial pat on the back for a development driver. It's a working tool. Fenestraz brings a pretty interesting background to the table too, with experience across Super Formula, Super GT, and Formula E behind him. That breadth means he can interpret car behavior in ways pure sim specialists might struggle with. Ferrari gets a driver who already understands high-level development demands and can bridge the gap between virtual and real-world performance.

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The exact format and timing haven't been locked down just yet, and Ferrari hasn't made any noise about this leading to a race seat. But for Fenestraz, getting confirmed F1 track time is massive. It gives him proper exposure to the machinery, the engineers, and what it actually feels like to strap into a Grand Prix car. When he gets back in that simulator after his run, he'll bring back genuine racing feel to complement all the data work, which is exactly what Ferrari's banking on.

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