Renault has announced its line-up for next week’s Hungaroring Formula 1 in-season test with its development driver Artem Markelov getting his first F1 chance.
Markelov joined the Renault academy as one of its junior drivers at the start of the 2018 F1 season as he competes for Russian Time in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. The Russian sits fourth with 110 points amid an up and down season due to car issues.
This will be the Russian’s first time in an official F1 test session after having driven an older Renault car in a demo run earlier this month. He will share the car with the team’s regular driver Nico Hulkenberg in the two-day test at Hungaroring.
Hulkenberg will drive the RS18 on the first day post the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 31, while Markelov will take over on Day 2 on August 1. The French manufacturer has already given a test chance to another of its development driver, Jack Aitken.
The British-Korean driver ran alongside Carlos Sainz in the Bracelona in-season test in May with the team now deciding to give the young Russian a chance to drive a F1 car and continue his development programme.
Force India will be another team to run its young drivers with Nicholas Latifi and Nikita Mazepin sharing the duties, while Red Bull Racing will have Jake Dennis on one of the days after it couldn’t get the clearance to give Dan Ticktum a go.