Formula 2 driver Nikita Mazepin will have his first official test for Mercedes’ Formula 1 team at the Circuit de Catalunya this week, RaceFans has learned.

The 20-year-old, who finished second in last year’s GP3 championship, has been conducting a private test programme with the world champions. He will drive for Mercedes on Wednesday of this week’s test. Valtteri Bottas will drive tomorrow.

Mazepin previously joined Force India, now Racing Point, as a development driver in 2016, and has tested their cars in the last three seasons.

Teams are required by the rules to give two days of testing to drivers who have competed in fewer than three F1 races. Mazepin fulfils this requirement, while the team’s reserve driver Esteban Ocon does not.

Mazepin’s father Dmitry is a non-executive director at Uralkali, which was one of the bidders for the assets of the Force India team when it went into administration last year. The company launched a legal action against administrators FRP Advisory when rival bidder Lawrence Stroll’s consortium was chosen as the buyer.

After the first six races of the 2019 F2 season Mazepin has scored four points and lies 16th in the championship, fifth among the rookie drivers.

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2019 F1 season