F1 Madness

Tag: young driver test

  • Q & A with Daniel Ricciardo

    Q & A with Daniel Ricciardo

    With Christian Horner having confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo is on a very short list of candidates for outgoing Red Bull driver Mark Webber’s racing seat, all eyes were on the young Australian as he tested in the RB9 at the Young Driver Test at Silverstone.

    After what was probably the most important test session of his Formula One career, Daniel Ricciardo spoke to the FOM.

    Q: Daniel, you spent the afternoon driving the world championship-leading car. How was it?
    Daniel Ricciardo:     It was good fun. It was a busy day so at the moment it’s a bit of a blur having jumped out of one car and into another. I did quite a few laps and I was happy with how it went. I had a small off earlier but it was a pretty trouble-free day.

    Q: What caused the off?
    Daniel Ricciardo:     It was my mistake – I just lost the rear on the entry to the corner. I was probably pushing a little too hard. The gravel was a bit like quicksand – I thought I’d get out but I couldn’t. I could see the guys weren’t very busy in the garage so I thought I’d give them a job to do to clean the car! (laughs) No, it was just a small error.

    Q: What are the differences between the RB9 and the Toro Rosso STR8?
    Daniel Ricciardo:     Umm, to the media I’m not very descriptive! (laughs). I’ll keep it blunt – it was a good opportunity to get the drive and to get the half day and to have a look what it is like. There are some differences (between the two cars) – I can’t really say what, but it was good to get the comparison for myself.

    Q: Did you take your chance today?
    Daniel Ricciardo:     Yeah, I think I drove to my ability and did what I could. It was a bit tricky with the circumstances – we weren’t really allowed to adjust the car. Ideally you’d like to make some mechanical changes and set the car up for the conditions, but it’ll be the same for the other guys. It was a good opportunity to get behind the wheel and experience two different beasts.

    Daniel RicciardoQ: Christian Horner wanted to see how quick you’d go in the Red Bull. He reportedly thinks it is down to you and Kimi Raikkonen for the seat next year. Are you feeling any pressure yet?
    Daniel Ricciardo:     No. It’s fun, it’s exciting. You know, whatever happens, happens. It was nice to get a few laps in the car – obviously testing is pretty limited, so to get that opportunity and to see what it was like, if I don’t get a chance further down the track, that was a nice little bonus. I’ll watch Seb’s (Vettel’s) times tomorrow (Friday) and hope he doesn’t put me to shame. (laughs).

    Q: So if it is down to you and Kimi for the drive, what turns the decision in your favour?
    Daniel Ricciardo:     I don’t know. It’s not my decision. I’ve still got the season ahead with Toro Rosso. The last few races have been better so I have to keep continuing like that. I think this test is something for Red Bull to look at, but there is still the rest of the season which I’m sure they’ll observe. So I won’t get too caught up in today and now I’ll switch my focus back to Toro Rosso.

    Q: What’s your overall feeling at the end of the day?
    Daniel Ricciardo:     I feel good. As I say, it’s still a bit of a blur. It was a pretty hectic day, even yesterday going between meetings in both teams’ trucks trying to soak it all in. I’ll look back on a few things tonight and probably wake up tomorrow with a better understanding of how it all went.

  • F1 Young Driver Test – Sebastian Vettel fastest on Day 3

    F1 Young Driver Test – Sebastian Vettel fastest on Day 3

    Sebastian Vettel topped the time sheets on the final day of the Young Driver Test at Silverstone.

    Vettel put in 78 laps this afternoon evaluating the Pirelli tyres which will be used at next week’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

    Vettel set the fastest time of all three days of running at Young Driver Test with a time of 1.32.894.

    Adrian Sutil’s fastest time from the morning session was fast enough to end the day second fastest, nearly four tenths adrift of Vettel’s time.

    Here is the time sheet for today’s testing at the Young Driver Test:

     

    ydt-day3

  • Adrian Sutil sets the morning pace at Young Driver Test

    Adrian Sutil sets the morning pace at Young Driver Test

    Adrian Sutil set the early pace on the final morning of the Young Driver Test at Silverstone, putting Force India back on top of the time sheets.

    Carlos Sainz Jr, who ventured out for Red Bull for the morning session, ended in second place ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Jean-Eric Vergne for Toro Rosso.

    Susie Wolff, who is testing for Williams today, focused on aero testing and finished in 8th place after a rather impressive morning. A big day for F1 as Wolff becomes the first woman to take part in the tests.

    Here is the full time sheet for the morning.

     

    ydt-finalmorning

    Photo: Official Force India Twitter account

  • Red Bull seat not looking good for Vergne

    Red Bull seat not looking good for Vergne

    With Mark Webber leaving Red Bull at the end of this season, his seat at Red Bull has been the topic of many a heated debate.

    Until now, the seat has had three names on it – Kimi Raikkonen, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne.

    In an interview with Sky Sports today however, Christian Horner has indicated that it is not likely that Jean-Eric Vergne will get the seat saying that we’re “probably” looking at a two-horse race now.

    Vergne had already been shifted aside with the Young Driver Test this week, since Red Bull have given Daniel Ricciardo an opportunity to drive the RB9 at Silverstone, rather than using Vergne.

    When asked whether the choice is now between Ricciardo and Raikkonen, Christian Horner replied, “Essentially, probably.”

    Talking to Sky Sports, he explained the rationale behind using Ricciardo for the Young Driver Test. “We’re very keen to have a look at Daniel as a prospect for next year. Obviously there is a great deal of interest in the seat, but it’s an opportunity to have a look at Daniel and for him to do some of our tyre testing work in our RBR car. It’s a great opportunity for him.”

    Ricciardo does seem like a safer bet than Raikkonen since he’s less likely to ruffle the feathers of remaining Red Bull driver, Sebastian Vettel. Raikkonen however, is likely to be a force to be reckoned with in the Red Bull so it’s going to be a tough choice for Horner and co.

  • Young Drivers Test: Ricciardo Fastest in Thursday Morning Session

    Young Drivers Test: Ricciardo Fastest in Thursday Morning Session

    Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest time for the morning session of 1:32.972 at the Young Drivers Test at Silverstone on Thursday.

    Ricciardo will take Mark Webber’s place in the RB9 this afternoon to continue his running for the day. Antonio Felix da Costa, in the Red Bull set the second fastest time of 1:33.958.

    Here’s the full time sheet for the mornings session:

     

    YDT ThursMorning

  • McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen tops day one of Young Driver Test

    McLaren test driver Kevin Magnussen topped the first day of Formula One’s Young Driver Test at Silverstone.

    Magnussen did not spend much of the session at the top of the timesheets until the final 20 minutes of the afternoon session when he fired out on medium tyres and set a 1.33.602.

    Here is the timesheet for the afternoon session.

    Kevin Magnussen fastest in afternoon Young Driver Test session

  • Kimi Raikkonen no longer taking part in Young Driver Test

    Kimi Raikkonen no longer taking part in Young Driver Test

    Kimi Raikkonen will no longer take part in the Young Driver Test on Friday after the Lotus team decided he would be underutilised under the regulations restricting the race driver’s programmes at Silverstone.

    “Once details of what race drivers were allowed to do here became apparent, we would have only been able to conduct a very limited programme with Kimi,” Lotus trackside operations director Alan Permane said. “If we were to run him, it would compromise the other development work we want to do with the car here. By running Nico again we’ll be able to build on the work already carried out and hopefully be in the best position to develop the E21 ahead of Budapest, whilst also conducting the necessary tyre testing for Pirelli.”

    Race drivers are allowed to take part in the test this year but only if they stick to a run plan dictated by tyre supplier Pirelli. Development work may only be done by drivers who have less than two grands prix experience so Lotus will put Nicolas Prost back in the car on Friday.

    Mark Webber was also pulled from the programme this morning.

    Red Bull will still make use of Sebastian Vettel for Friday afternoon though and Ferrari has also opted to keep Felipe Massa for a half day’s testing.

    Photo: Lotus F1 Team Twitter

  • Young Driver Test morning timesheet – James Calado on top

    James Calado put Force India at the top of the timesheets on the opening morning of the Young Driver Test at Silverstone.

    His benchmark of 1.33.986 is just over half a second slower than the fastest lap of this year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, set by Red Bull driver Mark Webber.

    Here is the full time sheet following the first morning of testing at the Silverstone Young Driver Test.

    young-driver-test-times-morning1

  • Mark Webber to miss out on Silverstone test as Red Bull change plans

    Mark Webber to miss out on Silverstone test as Red Bull change plans

    Mark Webber will no longer take part in the F1 Young Driver Test at Silverstone after Red Bull announced a late change to their planned schedule.

    Webber, who will be leaving Formula One to drive for Porsche at the end of the season, was due to test on Thursday afternoon.

    Regular team race drivers have been allowed to join this year’s test in order to assist Pirelli with development of their new tyres but this is only on the condition that they run a strictly-defined Pirelli programme that covers two half-days of running. “The teams will have a very clear tyre test programme; they have to run what we tell them to run,” said Pirelli boss Paul Hembery.

    Red Bull are keen to evaluate Daniel Ricciardo and with Sebastian Vettel due to test on Friday afternoon, they have decided to alter their testing plan. “Following a clarification of the permitted programmes from Pirelli and the FIA for this week’s Silverstone test, Infiniti Red Bull Racing has revised its driver line up,” the team announced in a press release issued just before the lunch break on Wednesday.

    Antonio Felix da Costa, originally scheduled to hand over to Ricciardo for the afternoon, will now test all day today and again on Thursday morning, before Ricciardo takes over.

    Carlos Sainz Jr will then test on Friday morning and Sebastian Vettel will take over from him in the afternoon.

    Ricciardo will also be testing for Toro Rosso on Thursday morning, right before he switches to the RB9.

     

  • No race drivers in McLaren Young Driver Test line up

    No race drivers in McLaren Young Driver Test line up

    McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Sergio Perez will not be taking part in the Young Driver Test at Silverstone this week despite the FIA now allowing regular race drivers to take part in order to help Pirelli test tyre development.

    This leaves the running up to Kevin Magnussen, Oliver Turvey and Gary Paffett.

    New Pirelli tyres which will be used at the Hungarian Grand Prix will be tested by Pirelli at Silverstone during the Young Driver Test but McLaren have opted not to run either Button or Perez.

    Magnussen, Turvey and Paffett will each spend one day at the wheel of the McLaren, as they did last year’s three day Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi.

    Since teams who make use of regular drivers will have to stick to a test plan decided by Pirelli, the move allows McLaren to dictate their own test plan each day instead.