It’s been a circulating rumour for a couple of years now, but following Ferrari’s turbulent Silverstone weekend it appears even more likely that Marussia’s Jules Bianchi will become a works Scuderia driver in the future. The Frenchman took the place of the injured Kimi Raikkonen during testing this week and even topped the time sheets on Wednesday. Many have labelled him as Ferrari’s next big thing; but when and how will be able to finally get a race-seat with the most revered marque in Formula One?
Bianchi started his career in karting, until he progressed to Formula Renault 2.0 in 2008, winning the title. This led to a European F3 berth, which also resulted in a championship success. GP2 appearances swiftly followed, before he began his relationship with Ferrari as a test driver in 2011. Last year he made his Formula 1 debut with Marussia, before scoring his and the team’s first ever championship points in Monaco this spring.
Bianchi’s obvious destination for the future is Ferrari. It’s a natural assumption, since he’s the most senior member of the team’s Driver Academy. This has allowed him to acclimatise himself with the Ferrari set-up at Fiorano (and, more recently, Silverstone), so he is undoubtedly in safe hands. Until now though, there was no realistic date set that would suggest when Bianchi’s Ferrari career might start.
Before the British Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen admitted that he was thinking about retiring at the end of his contract. Therefore, a vacancy in the Ferrari garage could come as early as 2016, which would be the perfect time for Bianchi. Fernando Alonso (Raikkonen’s current stable-mate) hasn’t hinted at a retirement plan for himself yet, but as Bianchi’s senior by 10 years he is now one of the elder statesmen of the sport. Earlier this year the Spaniard also expressed that he would like to try a career in sports cars at some point, adding to the possibility of a change in line-up.
This all throws the door open for Bianchi, who has plenty of racing years ahead of him. While Ferrari currently has the most experienced driver pairing on the grid, their careers in the top flight aren’t expected to last more than five years at most. Still, this doesn’t guarantee Bianchi a Ferrari seat. There are several other drivers who are knocking at the door: Nico Hulkenburg, Raffaele Marciello and Antonio Fuoco are all prime candidates to take a place of their own. So, what if Bianchi doesn’t make it into Ferrari? Are there any other feasible options for the new star of French motorsport?
Some have speculated that a move to Sauber in 2015 could help Bianchi on his way to a Ferrari seat. After all, Ferrari legends Raikkonen and Felipe Massa originally plied their trade with the Swiss outfit. But, for Bianchi, a move away from Marussia could be a step backwards, despite the low expectations that the rest of the grid has of them.
Marussia’s funds and development are steadily improving, while Sauber’s form this year is causing them to plummet into backmarker territory. In a sense, Marussia offers stability for Bianchi. It’s his training ground, where he is best suited to preparing for the long-term goal of a Ferrari seat. In addition, he can showcase himself more at Marussia. The expectations there are fairly low, so another top-ten finish would look far more appealing from the outside if he was with a ‘backmarker’ than a midfield team.
Right now, it seems that Bianchi is on the edge of convincing Ferrari that he is the man that will soon hold the responsibility of taking them forward. His Silverstone run was the perfect audition: Ferrari could have asked Alonso to stay an extra day to collect some data, but no. They turned to Bianchi. He most certainly delivered, with a best time over two seconds quicker than the weekend’s pole lap, set by Nico Rosberg. There was no doubt that those in the Ferrari garage were impressed.
So, the stage is set, but Ferrari isn’t a team famed for its tendency to rush things. This is all part of Bianchi’s cultivation, a gradual learning curve that will bring him into the fray at the right time. But, he does still make unnecessary mistakes. He’s far from ready to take on the challenge of a Ferrari drive at the moment, and was outperformed by his team-mate Max Chilton in the opening rounds of this year.
Despite this, though, Bianchi is on the right path. It’s not a case of if Ferrari come calling, but when. For now, another season with Marussia will be beneficial, mostly to iron out the aforementioned small mistakes and penalties that have plagued him in several races this year. But for the future, Bianchi’s career is almost certainly red.
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