Sauber's Formula 1 test and reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi has been handed his first practice outing of the season at this weekend's German Grand Prix.
The Italian driver, who participated in two rounds of the Formula 1 season last year, standing in for Sauber's Pascal Wehrlein in Australia and China following the German's Race of Champions crash, joined Sauber as its third driver at the beginning of the current season.
Giovinazzi fulfilled the role for Haas during the second half of last year, participating in seven practice sessions.
The Ferrari-backed driver most recently tested for Sauber and Ferrari at the post-Spanish GP in-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in May.
Sauber confirmed Giovinazzi's first official outing this year during a live grand prix session will take place this weekend at the Hockenheimring, where he will take over Marcus Ericsson's car for the 90-minute session.
Ericsson will return to action for the remainder of the weekend.
Giovinazzi, who was in contention for a 2018 seat with Sauber until incumbent Ericsson was preferred, is in line for another five FP1 outings across the rest of the year.
Giovinazzi has not raced full-time since finishing runner-up to Pierre Gasly in GP2 in 2016, though made his Le Mans 24 Hours debut for AF Corse last month, piloting a Ferrari 488 in the GTE Pro class.
