Alfa Romeo will give both Robert Kubica and Callum Ilott outings in FP1 during the doubleheader of races in Austria following the French Grand Prix.

Kubica will take part in the first FP1 session during the Styrian Grand Prix weekend next week, marking his second appearance of the season after a run in Spain (pictured above). The Pole will drive Kimi Raikkonen’s car at the Red Bull Ring, and says he’s interested in evaluating the progress that has been made in recent races.

“I am looking forward to being back in the car next week,” Kubica said. “The team has made some big steps forward, especially lately, and you can sense the confidence in the whole squad. I know how important it is to keep the momentum going and I am ready to play my part to make sure the two weekends in Austria are as successful as they can be.”

That will be followed by Ilott driving on the following Friday for the Austrian Grand Prix — when a full crowd is predicted — in what will also be his second session of the year, replacing Antonio Giovinazzi for FP1.

“The second FP1 of my season will be a good chance to help the team and build on the good job we did together in Portugal earlier this year,” Ilott said. “Knowing the car and the team already will definitely help me get to work straight away and having the data from the first week of running means we will have a solid base to start with. I am looking forward to making the most of this opportunity as the team keeps getting stronger.”

Alfa Romeo team principal Frederic Vasseur says both drivers bring value in their support roles and he has been particularly impressed with Ilott’s influence since joining the team this year.

“Robert is an important resource for our team and to have him in the car in Austria will be very valuable, especially as we will be racing at the same venue two weeks in a row,” Vasseur said. “Robert has done a really good job in his first outings this year and we are looking forward to working with him again as he helps the team in its progression.

“The way Callum has integrated with the team in a relatively short amount of time is remarkable, and to see him in the car with a solid set-up base from the previous week will be interesting. He’s done a good job in Portugal and the data he provided us with was really useful, so we are looking forward to another productive session together.”