Formula 1: Antonio Giovinazzi confirmed at Alfa Romeo Racing for 2020

Alfa Romeo Racing have confirmed that Antonio Giovinazzi is set to return to the team for a second year in the 2020 Formula 1 season.

Alfa Romeo Racing have confirmed that rookie Antonio Giovinazzi is set to return to the team for a second year in the 2020 Formula 1 season alongside Kimi Raikkonen, who was previously under contract through next year.

The 25-year-old Italian made his Formula 1 debut for the team as the replacement to the injured Pascal Wehrlein back at the beginning of the 2017 season when they were still known as Sauber.

He drove in two races at the time and served as a test driver for Haas and Ferrari throughout the rest of the season.

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In 2018, he served as a test driver for Ferrari and Alfa Romeo Racing before signing with Alfa Romeo Racing in the 2019 season.

Ferrari have the right to select one of the Alfa Romeo Racing’s two drivers, and they have backed him to return to the team for several weeks now given his recent improved form.

After scoring just one point in the first 13 races of the season compared to Raikkonen’s 31, Giovinazzi has scored the Swiss team’s only three points in the last six races, six races that have proven to be an overall struggle as they have fallen toward the back of the mid-pack.

Giovinazzi currently sits in 18th place in the driver standings. He become the first non-Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull Racing driver to lead a lap of a race when he led four laps of the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit in mid-September en route to a 10th place finish in that race.

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Here is what Giovinazzi had to say about this opportunity to return to the team for the 2020 season, according to Alfa Romeo.

"“I am very happy to be staying with the team for 2020. I am grateful for the incredible level of support I received in my first full season in Formula One: everyone in the team has stuck by my side since I joined and I am really looking forward to continuing our journey together. We learned a lot this year and I am confident we can make a big step forward next season. I won’t be a rookie anymore so there won’t be any excuses for me: I want to be competitive right from the start of the championship and repay the confidence the team has shown in me.”"

Here is what team principal Frederic Vasseur had to say.

"“Antonio has done really well this year and I am extremely pleased to be able to confirm he will stay with Alfa Romeo Racing for 2020. The way he has integrated into the team and has consistently improved throughout his first full season in the sport are very promising and we cannot wait to unlock his full potential as we continue to work together. Antonio has emerged as a very quick driver, even alongside as tough a benchmark as Kimi, and we expect him to develop even further as his experience grows. His technical feedback, work ethics and positive approach will help us continue to push our team forward, and so will the consistency of an unchanged line-up for next season.”"

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This confirmation likely puts the icing on the cake that Nico Hulkenberg, who is set to be replaced at Renault by Esteban Ocon, will not land a ride for the 2020 Formula 1 season. Antonio Giovinazzi’s seat was seen as the final remaining open seat that was a remote possibility for the 32-year-old German. Just four open seats remain on the grid for next year.

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