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Post by Anna on Nov 4, 2011 17:38:50 GMT
Because the Young Drivers test is after the Abu Dhabi GP I thought I'd make this thread. This will then be the thread for testing news at the beginning of next year . The 2012 Formula 1 testing calendar is as follows:
Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test 15-17th NovemberJerez 7-10 FebruaryBarcelona (1) 21-24 FebruaryBarcelona (2) 1-4 MarchMugello 1-3 MayResults[Abu Dhabi]Day 1 :: 1. Jean-Eric Vergne Red Bull 01:40.011 Day 2 :: 1. Jean-Eric Vergne Red Bull 01:40.188 Day 3 :: 1. Jean-Eric Vergne Red Bull 01:38.917
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Post by Anna on Nov 4, 2011 17:39:06 GMT
Toro Rosso to run Ceccon and Coletti at Young Driver Test
Neither of them is part of the Red Bull Young Driver Programme
Friday 4 November 2011 - 10h04, by Olivier Ferret At the forthcoming young driver test which runs from 15 to 17 November at the Abu Dhabi circuit, Scuderia Toro Rosso will run Stefano Coletti and Kevin Ceccon (photo).
Coletti, who was born in Monaco on 6 April 1989, has competed in the GP2 Asia and GP2 Main series this year, although his race season was cut short after an accident at the Spa-Francorchamps GP2 meeting. He was back in the cockpit for October’s GP2 test at Barcelona, topping the time sheet at the end of the final day.
Ceccon from Italy, was born on 24 September 1993 and this year he won the Under-21 category of the Auto GP Championship before going on to take the overall title in the same series. He also drove in the GP2 Main series, the youngest driver ever to do so. Both men will be taking part in the Abu Dhabi GP2 race prior to the test.
Franz Tost: “Scuderia Toro Rosso is well used to training young drivers and we are pleased to add Coletti and Ceccon to the list of students who have been through the Scuderia Toro Rosso school. Neither of them is part of the Red Bull Young Driver Programme, which is down to the fact that those drivers currently on the programme are still too young and inexperienced to deal with a Formula 1 car.”
Test Schedule: Tuesday, 15 November - Coletti Wednesday, 16 November - Ceccon Thursday, 17 November - Coletti in morning, Ceccon in afternoon
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Post by Anna on Nov 4, 2011 17:39:41 GMT
Alexander Rossi to test for Lotus in Abu Dhabi
He will also contest the GP2 Final with Caterham AirAsia
Thursday 3 November 2011 - 18h07, by Sandrine Bouchard Alexander Rossi will have a busy end to the 2011 season, competing for Caterham Team AirAsia in the forthcoming GP2 finale in Abu Dhabi and then taking part in the F1 young driver test for the GP2 team’s senior counterparts Team Lotus.
The GP2 Series newcomer showed great pace in both recent GP2 tests at Barcelona and Jerez and finished the final test session P2 after just three days in the new car. The team have high hopes for the young American who adapted very quickly, proving he will be a strong contender in the GP2 2011 finale in Abu Dhabi, from 11th - 13th November. He will also be given the chance to take the next step up to F1 with one full day in the post-F1 race at the Yas Marina Circuit, taking place from 15th - 17th November.
Team Principal Riad Asmat: "We are very excited to have Alexander Rossi back onboard for the Abu Dhabi GP2 race and the subsequent F1 test. He worked very well with the GP2 team during the tests in Spain and it will be great to continue that working relationship in addition to giving him more exposure to the F1 environment with Team Lotus. He has shown maturity and confidence on track so the decision to put him in the car for the GP2 finale was a simple one to make and we want to give him the chance to experience the pressure of an F1 environment so the young driver test is the natural place to give him that chance. We are all looking forward to both events and I am sure he will perform to the best of his ability whenever he is on track."
Caterham Team AirAsia Team Manager Phill Spencer: "I am very happy Alexander will be joining our GP2 team again in Abu Dhabi. He has shown great potential in the car and built up a good rapport with the team and especially his engineer during the post season tests. We have come a long way since the beginning of this year, it has been a roller coaster season with some highs and lows but I feel confident that with Alexander we can finish 2011 on a positive note."
Alexander Rossi: "I am very excited to finally announce I will be competing in Abu Dhabi with Caterham Team AirAsia and will have the chance to put more F1 miles on my CV with Team Lotus. After the positive GP2 tests in Jerez and Barcelona I feel we have a good chance of a strong result in the GP2 races and I will definitely be going into the weekend fully focused and motivated for a race win - looking at the team’s past results I see no reason why we can’t achieve that. For the F1 test I will be looking to learn as much as possible, do the best job I can and soak up every minute, in and out of the car."
"The Yas Marina circuit is really pretty impressive. The track itself has some quite slow corners and not a great deal of overtaking opportunities, but it seems to combine a road course with a circuit course. In the first two sectors you can be quite brave with what you’re doing but in the marina section there’s very little run-off area as the walls are really close, so you have to restrain yourself somewhat. Every lap requires two different driving styles and that in itself makes it fun and very interesting to race for both the drivers and the engineers."
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Amanda
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Post by Amanda on Nov 4, 2011 18:00:35 GMT
Lotus has announced the second driver too Razia also testing for Lotus in Abu Dhabi 4 November 2011 Following on from the confirmation of Alexander Rossi earlier on Friday, Team Lotus has now verified that Luiz Razia will also be testing at the upcoming Young Driver session which follows the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “I believe this is confirmation of all the good progress we have made this year and I am very pleased to be working with the team again,” says the Brazilian, who finished the GP2 season with one pole position and two podium finishes to his name. “We had a great relationship throughout our first season and it will be good to continue that in Abu Dhabi. The test in F1 is a very big deal for me - it is a full day behind the wheel, so I will be able to get a lot from it and hopefully give the team some good feedback.” It has also been confirmed that the 22-year-old will compete in the inaugural, non-championship GP2 Finale for Tony Fernandes’ Team AirAsia.
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Amanda
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Post by Amanda on Nov 10, 2011 20:02:06 GMT
This aticle has a few of the names that are testing...
Young drivers pay dearly for Abu Dhabi seats
"That’s just the way it is in formula one"
Tuesday 8 November 2011 - 12h05, by GMM The backers of young drivers are paying hundreds of thousands of euros to test formula one cars in Abu Dhabi later this month.
We revealed recently that Swiss 22-year-old Fabio Leimer, 14th in this year’s GP2 standings, purchased his Sauber seat for the young driver test.
Earlier, it emerged that Toro Rosso’s rides were open to the highest bidder at around the EUR 200,000 mark per day, with Sauber’s seat costing even more.
"Yes, we have had to pay for this test," Leimer confirmed. "That’s just the way it is in formula one, but first you have to be in the position to do so."
It is a different story at the grandee teams. Red Bull (Jean-Eric Vergne), McLaren (Gary Paffett), Ferrari (Jules Bianchi) and Mercedes (Sam Bird) are taking the opportunity to give their preferred young chargers some rare test laps.
Elsewhere on the Yas Marina circuit, there will be some unfamiliar names like Kevin Korjus (Renault), Max Chilton (Force India), Stefano Coletti (Toro Rosso) and Dani Clos (HRT), while some highly rated young drivers like Christian Vietoris have missed out.
Auto Motor und Sport said the price-tags have been up to EUR 300,000 for a single test day in a midfield car.
"Success in the lower classes is no longer enough," said the German magazine.
Of interest during the three-day young driver test, however, will be the debut of some "prototype tyres", with Pirelli pushing ahead with development for the 2012 season.
And in Friday practice for the Abu Dhabi race, F1’s regulars will try two sets of "an experimental soft compound", the official tyre supplier also announced.
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Amanda
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Post by Amanda on Nov 10, 2011 20:02:41 GMT
And Williams confirmation Williams confirms Abu Dhabi test line-up The team will run Valtteri Bottas and Mirko Bortolotti Wednesday 9 November 2011 - 17h16, by Olivier Ferret AT&T Williams today confirmed that the team will run Valtteri Bottas and Mirko Bortolotti during the young driver test days in Abu Dhabi on 15, 16 and 17 November 2011. Valtteri Bottas is currently the team’s Official Test and Reserve Driver. In addition to his AT&T Williams duties this year, Valtteri also took championship honours in the GP3 Championship with the ART Team after a convincing set of race wins. Valtteri will drive the FW33 on days one and two of the test. The final day’s running will be undertaken by reigning Formula Two champion, Mirko Bortolotti. Mirko joins the team as part of the reward package for winning this year’s Formula Two title. On the forthcoming test, Valtteri said, “I’m very much looking forward to these two days in Abu Dhabi. It’s something I have waited a long time for and is a dream come true. I have done everything I can to prepare myself for the test physically, and I have done a lot of preparation work with the team in the simulator, so I feel I’m 100% ready. So far, I have only completed straightline tests with AT&T Williams, so it will be great to have a go on a proper circuit now! I’m really thankful to the team for giving me this opportunity and I aim to do my best to help them gather as much data as possible next week.” Mirko added, “I’m obviously really pleased that I have been given the opportunity to test in Abu Dhabi with AT&T Williams. I will try to learn the car as quickly as possible and do the best I can for the team. I hope to learn lots of information from the engineers during the time I have and just enjoy it. For sure it’s going to be a big day for me and I’m looking forward to it.”
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Post by Anna on Nov 10, 2011 21:01:06 GMT
The Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA) has confirmed to GPUpdate.net that 2012 will see the F1 community gather for in-season testing for the first time since 2008. Italy's Mugello will be the scene in May, before the European season begins in Barcelona. This means that only three tests being staged in the pre-season period.
This year, testing should have started with three meetings in Spain before a fourth and final gathering in Bahrain, scene of the opening Grand Prix; however, due to the unrest in Manama, the final test was rescheduled as a second visit to Barcelona.
The 2012 Formula 1 testing calendar is as follows:
Jerez 7-10 February Barcelona (1) 21-24 February Barcelona (2) 1-4 March Mugello 1-3 May
The Mugello test will be of particular assistance to tyre supplier Pirelli, which will be able to analyse its modified compounds following the opening four ‘flyaway’ races.
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Post by Anna on Nov 10, 2011 21:03:13 GMT
And just for the record McLarens plans
Whitmarsh confirms Paffett and Turvey for test
10 November 2011
McLaren’s Martin Whitmarsh has confirmed that Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey will test its car at next week’s Young Driver test session in Abu Dhabi.
Bromley’s Paffett, now 30, was DTM Champion in 2005 and is expected to be in action for two of the three days in his role as McLaren reserve driver. 24-year-old compatriot Turvey was winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 2006 and finished sixth overall in the 2010 GP2 championship.
“The main focus will be on giving them a little bit more exposure to Formula 1 and for people to be aware of them,” Team Principal Whitmarsh said during a Vodafone Phone-In. “Then, on a technical level, we will have a programme with Pirelli.”
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Nov 10, 2011 22:02:32 GMT
How can anyone say it is a "Young" drivers test session when Gary Paffett of all people is taking part? I mean I ain't saying nothing against men in their 30s but he ain't really young. I know the test is based on amount of GPs you've taken part in or something but surely it should just have a name change because I don't think I can take anything serious when the "young" star of tomorrow is Gary Paffett...
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Amanda
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Post by Amanda on Nov 10, 2011 22:29:31 GMT
Your only as young as you feel Pete!
I agree though, I thought the young driver test was mainly to get GP2/GP3 drivers into an F1 car. I know we're short on test but it seems a tad unfair if other teams use young drivers to help them get noticed and give them a chance then by way of their EXPERIENCED TEST DRIVER not having race experience McLaren get a proper test in.
Though can't wait to see some of these guys in the cars! Feel sorry for Dani who has ended up in HRT.
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Nov 10, 2011 22:44:25 GMT
I love Gary but I did think the point of the test was to focus on young drivers, mainly because there is so little testing that young drivers weren't going to be thought of in the testing programmes. I mean if McLaren REALLY wanted to run Paffett they will run Paffett... In Barce, or Mugello if that test does go ahead (and I like that they have it I think it should be a test drivers only or one driver per team test). And they'd put him in the car in those test because he's an experienced test driver. Someone like *picks name at random* Kevin Korjus has never driven a F1 car as far as I know so you wouldn't stick him in to test anyways. It doesn't really bother me though I like Gary it just makes me laugh.
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Post by Anna on Nov 10, 2011 23:04:08 GMT
Why are we complaining about Paffett? 30 is the new 20 you know . I love Dani but he didn't deserve the HRT so happy Jules and Sam will be testing, I mean it was a no brainer for them but I was worried that Ferrari might get fed up of Jules, specially as his season didn't go brilliantly. I mean he did come 3rd!
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Post by Anna on Nov 12, 2011 21:51:44 GMT
Virgin confirms drivers for Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test
Pic, Wickens and Quaife-Hobbs
Friday 11 November 2011 - 12h11, by Olivier Ferret Marussia Virgin Racing announced that Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, Charles Pic and Reserve Driver Robert Wickens will join the team for next week’s Young Driver Test at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi from 15-17 November.
Adrian will get the test underway on the first morning (Tuesday) as his reward for being the best classified Marussia Manor Racing driver in the 2011 GP3 Championship. After carrying out two straight-line aero tests for the team earlier in the year - in Idiada, Spain and at RAF Cottesmore, UK - this will be Adrian’s third foray behind the wheel of the MVR-02 but his first outing in the car at a Formula One circuit.
For Frenchman Charles Pic this will be the first time he has driven an F1 car. He will take over the reins of the MVR-02 on Tuesday afternoon, followed by a further day of running on Wednesday. The 21 year-old finished 4th in this year’s GP2 Series Championship, securing two race wins, five podiums and three pole positions along the way.
Earlier today Robert Wickens was given a further opportunity to show what he can do in the MVR-02 when he took over car number 25 for Free Practice 1 in Abu Dhabi. This was a reward for winning the World Series by Renault FR3.5 Championship last month. He will now join next week’s test on Thursday, the third and final day of running.
John Booth, Team Principal: “We’re delighted to be able to offer Adrian, Charles and our Reserve Driver Robert Wickens seat time in the MVR-02 next week and in return we look forward to some convincing performances from all of them. The Young Driver Test is a fantastic opportunity to see the cream of the next generation of talent in action for the various teams and to enable them to demonstrate that they have what it takes to progress to the highest level of motorsport. In the meantime of course, we’ve also had Robert in the car for Free Practice 1 today and it’s been very rewarding to see him in action. We’ll be keeping a close eye on all of them during the week ahead.”
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs: “I can’t wait to drive the Marussia Virgin Racing Formula One car again. I’m even more excited this time out as I’ll get the chance to run at a proper racing circuit and show more of what I can do. I’m going to enjoy the experience but at the same time I want to learn as much as possible with the team as it’s an important stepping stone for the future.”
Charles Pic: “I’d like to thank Marussia Virgin Racing for this opportunity to test a Formula One car for the first time. It’s going to be a very special moment for me, one I have been waiting for my whole racing career! Formula 1 is my goal so I will be putting everything I have into the test and look forward to the experience of working with the team and learning as much as I can from them.”
Robert Wickens: “My feet haven’t really touched the ground since I won the FR3.5 Championship last month and as a result I have some great opportunities here in Abu Dhabi this weekend and also in the test next week. It’s been fantastic to run in the MVR-02 for Free Practice 1 today and then I’ll get another full day in the car next Thursday. It’s been a very positive year working with Marussia Virgin Racing, so it’s great to get these chances and show that I’m ready for the next level.”
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Post by Anna on Nov 12, 2011 21:56:19 GMT
Force India: Cecotto Jr completes Abu Dhabi test line-up
Cecotto to test Force India next week
Friday 11 November 2011 - 09h50, by Olivier Ferret Johnny Cecotto Junior will test for Sahara Force India at the upcoming young driver test in Abu Dhabi next week, completing the team’s line-up alongside Max Chilton.
The 22-year-old Venezuelan will get behind the wheel of the VJM04 on Wednesday 16 November for a full day of work with the team. The test will be Johnny’s debut in a Formula 1 car.
Johnny Cecotto Jr: “I think all drivers want to race in Formula 1 so the chance to get time in the Sahara Force India F1 car is a big moment for me. In fact, I can’t stop smiling at the thought of driving such an amazing car. I know there’s a massive amount to learn and a lot of work to get through on the day, but I definitely feel ready to get behind the wheel. I hope I can do a good job and repay the faith the team have shown by giving me a chance in the car.”
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Nov 13, 2011 21:43:13 GMT
Jules is doing all three days isn't he looks like Ferrari are keeping the faith in him, they are doing important testing work.
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