Sergio Sette Camara has been revealed as one of Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri’s reserve drivers for the 2020 Formula 1 season, a day after he announced he was leaving McLaren.
The 21-year-old acted as McLaren’s development driver last year, a role he earned after impressing against Carlin team-mate Lando Norris the year before in Formula 2.
That was the second of his three F2 seasons, as he ended his time in the championship in 2019 with two wins and fourth in the points for DAMS, enough to earn himself a FIA superlicence to race in F1.
?I am extremely happy to join the Red Bull family as official test & reserve driver for the 2020 Formula 1 season alongside S?bastian [Buemi],” said Sette Camara.
“I?ve been watching F1 since I was five years old and I?m humbled to have been given this opportunity to work with Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri.?
His responsibilities will also include being one of the simulator drivers and fronting the show car demonstration programme. While he has no race plans confirmed, he has been heavily linked to making a debut in IndyCar with Carlin.
Sette Camara was previously a member of Red Bull’s Junior Team in 2016 while racing in FIA European Formula 3. He was dropped after taking two podiums from his second full season in the championship, but did make his test debut with AlphaTauri (when it was known as Toro Rosso) and finished third in the Masters of F3 and Macau Grand Prix.
His role at McLaren was believed to have been under threat from midway through last season, as Sette Camara’s partner Brazilian petroleum company Petrobras ended its alliance with the team.