Former Formula 1 team owner Giancarlo Minardi believes new Ferrari third and reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi is already worthy of a full-time seat in the sport.

The 23-year-old impressed during a five-win rookie GP2 Series campaign last year, coming very close to becoming the first debutant to win F1’s official junior category in the Pirelli era.

Although Giovinazzi eventually fell eight points shy of Red Bull protégé Pierre Gasly, his strong results did not go unnoticed and he was confirmed at the Scuderia last December.

“[Antonio] already deserves to be in F1, as he has what it takes to perform at the top echelon,” Minardi told Italian publication Autosprint.

“The good news is that he has joined Ferrari; the bad news is that there is no guarantee he will secure some actual mileage.

“If I still had my team, he would certainly be making his debut and gathering valuable experience for the future.

“Unfortunately, it appears that smaller teams are no longer able to offer these opportunities, and there are no vacancies.”

Giovinazzi’s 2017 programme includes simulator work, while the Italian ace has also been tipped for Friday outings with one of Ferrari’s customer teams.

Minardi’s eponymous outfit ran the likes of Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alonso, and Mark Webber on their F1 debuts.

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