Sacha Fenestraz confirms he will test a Ferrari Formula 1 car in 2027, following his mid-year switch to Maranello’s simulator and development group.

The French-Argentine spent three seasons in Mercedes’ Brackley simulator team before joining Ferrari in July, with the new role adding on-track mileage under Testing of Previous Cars regulations.

TPC running permits private track sessions with older-spec machinery outside race weekends, avoiding restrictions linked to current cars and preserving cost controls.

The date remains undecided. An initial slot is postponed by a clash with his Super GT commitment at Autopolis, with scheduling now being reworked around his wider programme.

For Ferrari, the exercise targets correlation. Real-world inputs sharpen driver-in-the-loop fidelity and help refine baseline models that inform setup, aero maps, and development direction.

Fenestraz’s arrival also broadens Ferrari’s resource pool, complementing its long-term planning around regulations and future car concepts, including Ferrari’s 2026 upgrade programme.

His Mercedes background provides useful comparative insight. That experience is relevant amid Mercedes’ 2026 ambitions, where simulator quality and processes remain pivotal.

Operating closer to Maranello embeds Fenestraz in Ferrari’s daily cadence, from hardware-in-the-loop rigs to simulator updates that reflect rapid development cycles and event-specific refinements.

That loop already underpinned Ferrari’s iterative steps, such as its recent upgrade package at the United States GP, where correlation confidence drives deployment timing.

TPC rules constrain eligible car specifications, tyre supply, and data use, ensuring competitive balance while permitting productive mileage for drivers outside current car programmes.

The move increases Fenestraz’s visibility. It offers Ferrari another evaluation point without implying a race-seat pathway, even as the driver market remains fluid and strategically sensitive.

The wider context is a development arms race, underlined by Toto Wolff’s recent warning about the scale of 2026-2027 transitions, where simulator strength could prove decisive.

Next steps hinge on calendar alignment. Once confirmed, the TPC outing should deliver actionable data for Ferrari and valuable mileage for a driver building a diverse top-level résumé.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.