2011 Young Driver Test Thread

It's really good to see that all the teams out there testing.

Also you can't really blame Mclaren for taking Paffett along, he's not raced in F1 but has done thousands of miles of testing for them and with his experience he'll be able to give them some much needed feed back for next season. I'm surprised alot of other teams haven't looked at some DTM drivers who haven't raced in F1 to take someone experienced along and a youngester from GP2. Also can't believe Oliver Jarvis wasn't taken along he'd bring loadsa experience along to any team.
 
1. Jean-Eric Vergne Red Bull-Renault 1m40.011s 83
2. Jules Bianchi Ferrari 1m40.960s 85
3. Robert Wickens Renault 1m42.217s 78
4. Fabio Leimer Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.331s 67
5. Gary Paffett McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.912s 41
6. Max Chilton Force India-Mercedes 1m43.016s 81
7. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Cosworth 1m43.118s 71
8. Oliver Turvey McLaren-Mercedes 1m43.502s 35
9. Sam Bird Mercedes GP 1m43.548s 51
10. Rodolfo Gonzalez Lotus-Renault 1m44.022s 87
11. Stefano Coletti Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m45.278s 87
12. Dani Clos HRT-Cosworth 1m45.329s 68
13. Charles Pic Virgin-Cosworth 1m46.930s 30
14. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Virgin-Cosworth 1m47.292s 32

Ok the stand out's have to be Clos who is only 2 tenths slower than Liuzzi's Q1 time and Gonzalez who is only 3 tenths slower than Trulli. Either HRT and Lotus have found something or those guys are doing a damn fine job. Not sure about Gonzalez but I know its Clos first time in an F1 car.

Also worth noting that Wickens has got that Renault far closer to the Red Bull than either Petrov or Senna managed and to see that car up there in third when we keep hearing how terrible it is at the moment.
 
Vergne and Wickens have looked a cut above the 2011 GP2 cohort, for my money, and I hope they can both find something. Robert's chances at Renault have to be slim given the number of drivers they've got, though.
 
Just occured to me. Are HRT and Lotus testing their new KERS systems? that might explain why the young drivers they've brought in are so quickly on the pace of their race drivers. Not taking anything away from them or anything.
 
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Good pic of Williams periscope exhaust.Appears that they are aiming it ant the centre of the rear wing
 
Looking at the picture of the Williams it appears they changed their livery...those red PDVSA logos weren't there before, were they? Looks good:D
 
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New times from this morning:)What springs to my mind is that Bottas seems really impressive, doesn't he? But again we don't know anything about set-up and fuel loads...
 
Bottas has done well hasn't he!

I guess McLaren aren't judging their drivers this week so perhaps their approach is different to this test... No low fuel runs for Gary to impress with.
 
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!

Only Gonzalaz was 2 tenths faster than him yesterday so lets have a Venuzulan world champ! woop!

*ahem*

none of them as quick as yesterday apart from Bottas who went 6 tenths quick than he did in yesterdays afternoon session. So either testing is going very well for Williams or they real need to take a gamble on this Finn instead of the one their thinking of.

Would say that Vergne managed his 1.40.1 in only 17 laps this morning which I guess goes to show he can produce consistant times.

From a British point of view little Max Chilton was a full 2 seconds faster yesterday than Cecotta Jr was today which might land him the test drivers role.
 
Here are this afternoon's times:

1. Jean-Eric Vergne, Red Bull, 1:40.188, 43 laps
2. Jules Bianchi, Ferrari, 1:40.279, 91
3. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:41.756, 71
4. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:42.367, 88
5. Johnny Cecotto Jr, Force India, 1:42.873, 84
6. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1:43.637, 96
7. Sam Bird, Mercedes, 1:43.734, 94
8. Kevin Korjus, Renault, 1:43.776, 70
9. Luiz Razia, Lotus, 1:43.944, 89
10. Kevin Ceccon, Toro Rosso, 1:44.808, 97
11. Jan Charouz, HRT, 1:46.644, 56
12. Charles Pic, Virgin, 1:46.698, 61
13. Nathanael Berthon, HRT, 1:48.646, 9

Not much change but Bianchi is getting quicker whilst Vergne did nearly the exact same time as yesterday. Bottas is getting ever quicker and ever neared Maldonado's qualifying time of 1.41.7

Razia just a tenth slower than Trulli's Q1 time and a tenth quicker than Gonzalaz so I have to take back what I said to TBY about him not being 2014 world champion earlier.

Cecotta Jr also beat little Max Chilton's time by 3 tenths too :(
 
Morning times:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Jean-Eric Vergne Red Bull-Renault 1m38.917s
2. Jules Bianchi Ferrari 1m41.347s
3. Olivier Turvey McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.346s
4. Max Chilton Force India-Mercedes 1m42.618s
5. Alexander Rossi Lotus-Renault 1m44.381s
6. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.531s
7. Stefano Coletti Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m44.545s
8. Mirko Bortolotti Williams-Cosworth 1m46.076s
9. Nathanael Berthon HRT-Cosworth 1m46.299s
10. Charles Pic Virgin-Cosworth 1m46.348s
11. Jan Charouz HRT-Cosworth 1m47.159s
12. Sam Bird Mercedes GP 1m47.624s



Vergne is about half a second slower than Vettel's pole with that one and about 5 hundrths off Webber's time. Not bad.
 
Morning times:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Jean-Eric Vergne Red Bull-Renault 1m38.917s
2. Jules Bianchi Ferrari 1m41.347s
3. Olivier Turvey McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.346s
4. Max Chilton Force India-Mercedes 1m42.618s
5. Alexander Rossi Lotus-Renault 1m44.381s
6. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.531s
7. Stefano Coletti Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m44.545s
8. Mirko Bortolotti Williams-Cosworth 1m46.076s
9. Nathanael Berthon HRT-Cosworth 1m46.299s
10. Charles Pic Virgin-Cosworth 1m46.348s
11. Jan Charouz HRT-Cosworth 1m47.159s
12. Sam Bird Mercedes GP 1m47.624s



Vergne is about half a second slower than Vettel's pole with that one and about 5 hundrths off Webber's time. Not bad.

The red supersofts beeing used perhaps?
 
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