Sauber to run Leimer in Young Driver test

20/10/2011

Sauber has announced that Fabio Leimer will take part in the Young Driver Test that follows the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, the team's 20-year-old official test and reserve driver, will be at the wheel for two of the three days in Abu Dhabi, while Leimer, who is 22-years-old and hails from the Kanton Aargau in Switzerland, will make his F1 debut.

"We are pleased we can offer Fabio this opportunity", said Monisha Kaltenborn, Sauber CEO. "The test opportunities for young drivers are extremely limited nowadays, and it is always exciting to see how they deal with all the complexity of a Formula One test."

"When I found out that I will definitely take part in the test I realised for the first time what this actually means," said Leimer, who has driven in the GP2 and GP2 Asia series. "Being a racing driver, of course, you always dream of Formula One. That this dream is now coming true is almost unbelievable. On top of that not many Swiss drivers have ever had the chance to test for Sauber. For this reason it is an even more special honour for me to be able to get my first laps in an F1 car under my belt as a Swiss for the Swiss team. I am very much looking forward to that challenge and want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made it possible."