Sauber announced that Nobuharu Matsushita will be driving in the Sauber C36-Ferrari at the second in-season test at Hungaroring following the Hungarian Grand Prix from the 1st – 2nd of August 2017.
The 23-year-old Japanese started his racing career in karting at the age of four, and competed in various single-seater championships in Asia. Since 2015, Matsushita has been competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship (former GP2 Series) with ART Grand Prix. Matsushita is currently running in P7 in the overall ranking of the season, with one victory in his pocket.
During the second in-season test at the Hungaroring, Gustav Malja will test the Sauber C36-Ferrari on day one, while Nobuharu Matsushita will take over the cockpit on day two.
Nobuharu Matsushita
“When I was four years old, I was fascinated by Michael Schumacher, watching him racing in Formula 1. Since then my dream was to become a Formula 1 driver. I am very excited about my first Formula 1 test and I am really looking forward to driving the Sauber C36-Ferrari at the Hungaroring – it is a great opportunity for me. I hope it will be a productive day for the team as well as for myself, so that I can learn as much as possible. I would like to thank the Sauber F1 Team for making this happen.”
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal
“I am pleased that Nobuharu has this great opportunity. He deserves the experience of his first test in a Formula 1 car. Ever since his debut in Formula 2 with ART Grand Prix, I have been following his progress closely, and have watched him advance his performance from year to year. With this Formula 1 test, he comes one step closer to his dream of becoming an F1 driver one day.“