2011 Young Driver Test Thread

teabagyokel said:
You heard it here first LOL
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So far...

Rodolfo Gonzalez Lotus-Renault 1m44.022s 87
Luiz Razia, Lotus, 1:43.944, 89
Alexander Rossi Lotus-Renault 1m44.381s

But, just looking at morning times (because that is all Rossi has done so far)

Gonzalez, 1.45.026
Razia, 1.44.323
Rossi, 1.44.381

Not much to choose between them? Can you explain tby, what else you know about Razia that led to your prediction?
 
teabagyokel said:
So, obviously, Keke, lets go for wild speculation and uneducated guesswork...

Razia for the 2014 World Title because he beat Renault, Toro and Force in a Lotus!
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Its speculation and uneducated guesswork. Please don't quote me on Razia when Seb wins the 2014 World Championship! 8-)
 
Assuming that it hasn't rained in Abu Dhabi this week (probably fair enough), I suspect there's a lot more rubber on the racing line now than there was for qualifying. That may explain some of the times - though I still think Vergne is highly talented regardless of what he does this week.
 
jez101 said:
The red supersofts beeing used perhaps?
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Maybe but eveyrone else apart from Vergne appears to be slower than yesterday - Bianchi by about a second. So if so they're not being used across the board.

To be honest I think Vergne is just good
 
Final Times:

1. Jean-Eric Vergne, Red Bull, 1:38.917
2. Sam Bird, Mercedes, 1:40.897
3. Jules Bianchi, Ferrari, 1:41.347
4. Oliver Turvey, McLaren, 1:41.513
5. Max Chilton, Force India, 1:41.575, 79
6. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1:42.049
7. Mirko Bortolotti, Williams, 1:43.277
8. Kevin Ceccon, Toro Rosso, 1:43.686
9. Alexander Rossi, Lotus, 1:44.283
10. Jan Charouz, Renault, 1:44.470
11. Stefano Coletti, Toro Rosso, 1:44.545
12. Nathanael Berthon, HRT, 1:45.839
13. Robert Wickens, Virgin, 1:45.934
14. Charles Pic, Virgin, 1:46.348
Vergne and Bianchi's times are identical to this morning so I'm assuming that this is today's tims overall and that neither went faster. Sam Bird shows Merc have got the hand of their new exhaust system by setting a time only 4 tenths off Schui's quali time.

Apparently Rossi was struggling for space in the cockpit which hindered him and I'm sure Virgin will be scratching their chin wondering if they've made the right decision in giving Charles Pic the race seat as their Test Driver Robert Wickens is half a second quicker despite having less time in the car.

Anyways - thats all folks - will we ever see some of these names on F1 timing sheets again? we'll see.
 
RasputinLives said:
Apparently Rossi was struggling for space in the cockpit
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Not much of a surprise there. Of the current drivers only Webber and Petrov are taller than him.

Wonder how Danny Ricciardo feels today. Seems to me that JEV has surpassed him as Red Bull's hope for the future.

As for Pic/Wickens, I think it's clear who brings the most sponsorship to the table.
 
KekeTheKing said:
Wonder how Danny Ricciardo feels today. Seems to me that JEV has surpassed him as Red Bull's hope for the future.
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He's probably grumbling something about how he went faster last year - I agree with you though - I'd be far mroe excited to see Vergne in a Toro Rosso seat next year than Ricciardo
 
RasputinLives said:
Anyways - thats all folks -
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So Bottas does a 42.3 while Bortolotti did a 43.2... surely we can make comparisons like that? How about an in team league table Rasp before you wrap up the coverage :D ?

A good time for Bird, especially if he wasn't using the EBD today and who is Max Chilton? I think we should be told! I think we will see him again sometime!
 
jez101 said:
who is Max Chilton?
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He's that touring car drivers little brother. I think he's about 12 from the picture - he has the same sticky up hair.

I will obey on the team thing:

Red Bull:

Jean Eric Vergne 1:38.917.

impressive.

Ferrari:

Jules Bianchi 1:40.279

Not as impressive as I expected

Mclaren

Oliver Turvey 1:41.5
Gary Paffett 1:41.7

Pointless drivers but I’m sure Mclaren learnt a lot

Mercedes

Sam Bird 1:40.8

Think that might be a step forward for Merc but I reckon Bird might make F1 some day

Renault

Robert Wickens 1:42.2
Kevin Korjus 1:43.7
Jan Charouz 1:44.4

Wickens who only got a day for winning the Renault 3.5 series puts Renault’s actual stand by drivers to shame.

Force India

Max Chilton 1:41.5
Johnny Cecotto Jr 1:42.8

Son of F1 driver beaten by brother of touring car racer – Max can count that as a plus towards him progressing up the Mercedes ladder

Sauber

Esteban Gutierrez 142.0
Fabio Leimer 1:42.3

I reckon Gutierrez is all set up to land himself that Sauber drive in 2013 as long as he does ok in GP2 next year

Toro Rosso

Kevin Ceccon 1:43.6
Stefano Coletti 1:44.5

Not too unimpressive but can’t see either of them rushing up the Red Bull ladder with those times.

Williams

Valtteri Bottas 1:42.3
Mirko Bortolotti 1:43.2

Bottas has been stand out of the test for me and reckon Williams should take a punt on him in a race seat next year – I doubt they will but they should

Lotus

Luiz Raiz 1:43.9
Rodolfo Gonzalaz 1:44.0
Alexander Rossi 1:44.2

All very close and all not that much slower than Trulli so should expect one of them in for 2013. Even though he’s the slowest I’d say Rossi.

HRT

Dani Clos 1:45.3
Nathanael Berthon 1:45.8
Jan Charouz 1:46.6

Clos only 2 tenths slower than Liuzzi’s Quali time which is closest any driver got to their targets. I reckon we’ll see him driving for them next year.

Virgin

Robert Wickens 1:45.9
Charles Pic 1:46.3
Adrian Quaffe-Hobbs 1:47.2

Wickens shows up the driver they’ve just signed for the race seat whilst D’ambrosio probably sulks saying he’s quicker than both. Quaffe-Hobbs might not be cut out for F1.
 
A few thoughts...

Max Chilton carries a very great deal of sponsorship cash with him. His career in the junior series has been unimpressive (actually that's an understatement) and he's progressed up the ladder rather in spite of his performances - his father is, I think, either the co-owner or certainly main funding source of the Carlin team. He does have youth on his side, and of course F1 might be the category he's best suited to, but I'd be very cautious where he's concerned.

If Pic has indeed been signed for Marussia (I haven't seen anything official, but may have missed it) he won't have felt under quite as much pressure to set a quick time than Wickens. The team might also have run a different programme for a driver who they know they're going to have to work with next season, than they would for one who they're trying to assess for their raw speed in a more speculative way.

I agree that Bottas has been a very positive surprise - hopefully this performance will give him the support to move up to Renault 3.5 or GP2 next season.


I was trying to think of a Jules-Vergne joke but couldn't quite crowbar it in.
 
Galahad said:
Max Chilton carries a very great deal of sponsorship cash with him. His career in the junior series has been unimpressive (actually that's an understatement) and he's progressed up the ladder rather in spite of his performances - his father is, I think, either the co-owner or certainly main funding source of the Carlin team. He does have youth on his side, and of course F1 might be the category he's best suited to, but I'd be very cautious where he's concerned.
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I'd have said exactly the same thing as you G but as he set the 4th fastest time of the entire test session and was 1.3 seconds faster than Cecotto Jr (who lets face it prob hasn't lacked backing either) in the same car. Of course we don't know the in's and out's but it does make me sit up and pay a bit more attention than I did to him. Plus you have to be fair and say the Carlin car he's been driving in GP2 hasn't been the class of the field.

I'd still say Britain's next F1 driver will be Sam Bird though - its the second year running Merc have had him in this test and he's never dissapointed. I think he'll have another year in GP2 but wouldn't be surprise to see him in contention for a drive at Force India or somewhere like that in 2013
 
I'd like to see Sam Bird have a decent crack at the GP2 title first - he's been close to the front in the last 2 seasons, but a number of incidents and failures have dogged his progress.

Bottas has been a bit of a revelation, hasn't he? I enjoyed watching him in GP3 this year (along with James Calado) - definitely a couple for the future...
 
I've seen Williams and Mercedes testing the new style exhausts. Also Ferrari have tested one side of their car with and one without this years exhausts. I've seen Red Bull testing their front-wing for flex using a quite impressive testing rig.

One team who I've heard nothing about is McLaren. I haven't even seen any pictures with them carrying anything fancy on their car. Has anyone else seen or heard what they've been up to? I really hope they've made the most of this test and I am surprised if they haven't even bothered bolting on a new 2012 style exhaust.
 
tranquility2k9 said:
I've seen Williams and Mercedes testing the new style exhausts. Also Ferrari have tested one side of their car with and one without this years exhausts. I've seen Red Bull testing their front-wing for flex using a quite impressive testing rig.

One team who I've heard nothing about is McLaren. I haven't even seen any pictures with them carrying anything fancy on their car. Has anyone else seen or heard what they've been up to? I really hope they've made the most of this test and I am surprised if they haven't even bothered bolting on a new 2012 style exhaust.
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They probably didn't put on a new exhaust as they may not want to reveal anything about next year's car and/or they might not learn much if they had put in on since they are reportedly only carrying over 6% of this car into their 2012 car.
 
Only thing I heard was that one of the session's was red flagged because Parffet's Mclaren spilt oil all over the track. You'd have thought that as they were using their two test drivers, who I have to say I don't real consider future F1 prospects, that Mclaren would be the team doing the most testing but like you Tranquility I haven't heard of them trying anything either.

Maybe they're keeping it all under their hats.
 

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