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Why Ferrari's talent bottleneck is creating its own issues

Ferrari has five drivers on its Academy scheme in Formula 2 this year, making up 23% of the grid. But, with both its F1 seats seemingly filled for the long-term after Carlos Sainz Jr's arrival, the Academy prospects face an almighty scrap to step up

After fears the delayed start to the Formula 1 season could cause stagnation in the 2021 driver market, the recent shake-up has marked a welcome debunking of that theory.

Sebastian Vettel's surprise departure from Ferrari, the team's subsequent signing of Carlos Sainz Jr as his replacement, and Daniel Ricciardo's switch to McLaren have ensured the grid will look notably different at the start of next season.

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Author Luke Smith

Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.

Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.