Antonio Giovinazzi was happy with his performance in the Australian Grand Prix – an unexpected Formula 1 debut as Pascal Wehrlein withdrew on Saturday due to fitness issues.
Having nearly made it into the second part of qualifying, the paddock was curious to see how the young Italian would fare, especially with so little F1 experience.
The Italian finished a solid twelfth, an early battle with a charging Lance Stroll perhaps the highlight of his race.
Giovinazzi said: “It was a good race, and I am happy with my performance today.
“My objective was to gain more experience and collect mileage in the car. I will sit together with my engineers to analyse areas where I can improve.
“I want to thank the Sauber F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari again for this opportunity. It was an amazing race weekend for me.”
It is unclear if we will see the Ferrari junior in another F1 event this season, however if Wehrlein is still not fully fit for the Chinese Grand Prix in April, Sauber could well call upon the Italian once again.
Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn also praised the efforts made by Giovinazzi, adding: “[It was] a very impressive performance from Antonio during his first Formula One race.
“He showed his potential as well as what the car is capable of. The lap times were quite satisfying.”
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