So this year the FIA have dcided to give the teams 2 options with the young drivers test - whether to have it at Silverstone mid-season or at Abu Dhabi near the end of the season. Only being allowed to take part in one the teams get to choose and unsurprisingly it looks like all the teams (except Red Bull and Toro Rosso) have opted for Silverstone probably mainly because its easier to attend logistically and also will mean they get another mid-season test.
Having this test in July has come under critisism - some from the guy who owns the circuit at Abu Dhabi (shocker!) and some from Red Bull(who have to test at Abu Dhabi due to sponsorship deals) but the biggest critic has actually been Eric Boullier, who manages lots of young talent, who states that it will interupt a lot of the young guys in the middle of their seasons and will only be used as a mid-season test rather than a chance for young drivers. This of course hasn't stopped him signing Lotus up for the session in July - he wouldn't want to miss out now. He has said he hopes it rains though. If rain is forcast this could become a none event as although the teams are only allowed to attend one test they can withdraw as late as the day before and attend the Abu Dhabi test.
Whilst I think Boullier has a point about teams turning it into a mid-season test I don't think having it in Abu Dhabi makes any difference because due to the lack of testing they can have, as we saw last year, teams will still try new bits of cars etc and Mclaren ran Gary Parfeet rather than any up and coming talent. But even if they are using it as a test session I still believe this is helpful to young talent as surely it gives them experience etc. Not sure what everyone else thinks.
Pirrelli are set to run some experimental rubber at the session too which could be an eye opener for the season after. I'm not sure if people are allowed to attend the session as spectators but if you can would anyone bother to go down?
I thought this thread could be used as a news and update thread for the test so if you come across any drivers confirmed to drive in it etc just post below.
Having this test in July has come under critisism - some from the guy who owns the circuit at Abu Dhabi (shocker!) and some from Red Bull(who have to test at Abu Dhabi due to sponsorship deals) but the biggest critic has actually been Eric Boullier, who manages lots of young talent, who states that it will interupt a lot of the young guys in the middle of their seasons and will only be used as a mid-season test rather than a chance for young drivers. This of course hasn't stopped him signing Lotus up for the session in July - he wouldn't want to miss out now. He has said he hopes it rains though. If rain is forcast this could become a none event as although the teams are only allowed to attend one test they can withdraw as late as the day before and attend the Abu Dhabi test.
Whilst I think Boullier has a point about teams turning it into a mid-season test I don't think having it in Abu Dhabi makes any difference because due to the lack of testing they can have, as we saw last year, teams will still try new bits of cars etc and Mclaren ran Gary Parfeet rather than any up and coming talent. But even if they are using it as a test session I still believe this is helpful to young talent as surely it gives them experience etc. Not sure what everyone else thinks.
Pirrelli are set to run some experimental rubber at the session too which could be an eye opener for the season after. I'm not sure if people are allowed to attend the session as spectators but if you can would anyone bother to go down?
I thought this thread could be used as a news and update thread for the test so if you come across any drivers confirmed to drive in it etc just post below.
Why mess about with this? Its alright where it is the young driver test. Well why'll Mclaren can get away with it i don't blame them for using Gary Paffett tbh, they in the rules and he's a brilliant tester 
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. That wouldn't really work then...
