The 2016 Pirelli test at Paul Ricard circuit

Pirelli organized a wet tyre test at Paul Ricard circuit, on January 25th and 26th.

The two-day test focused just on wet tyres (no intermediates). Different wet prototypes was tested.

Three teams took part in the test: Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren.

Here are the fastest lap times:

1. Sebastian Vettel 1.06,750 (Day 2)
2. Daniil Kvjat 1.06,833 (Day 2)
3. Stoffel Vandoorne 1.07,758 (Day 2)
4. Daniel Ricciardo 1.08,713 (Day 1)
5. Kimi Raikkonen 1.09,637 (Day 1)

A little rambling before the second tests

Just reminding you all that the second pre-season test venue starts on Thursday in Barcelona.
Force India is supposed to bring their new car there and they might even change their livery a little bit.

It is very interesting to see if Ferrari will continue dominating the lap times or will another team rise up to challenge them. It is obvious that Mercedes is still the best team but you never know what will happen this season.

I hope this season will bring us more consistency than last year. In our F1-4-LIFE PREDICTORS LEAGUE for instance everybody were always betting for the two Mercs in 2014. I hope it will not be the case this year.

In 2012 we hade so many different winners that it was one of the best seasons in several years. Let's hope we will have something like that in 2015.

If we talk more about the tests this year then I am pretty sure that Ferrari and Mercedes will be at the top and then comes Williams, Red Bull and the rest.

The biggest surprise might be Lotus. They have changed to Mercedes engines for this season and they have finally realized several mistakes they did with the car last year. I wish them well.

So remember to check on the results and other stuff on the 19th of February from our Facebook page and this blog.

The testing season starts tomorrow in Jerez!

Finally the 2015 season is starting! Well at least the testing season is. It's still over a month till the first race in Melbourne.

The testing season is important not only for the drivers and teams but us fans as well. This is the time of the year when we will see how fast the new cars are. Usually they give a pretty good picture of it.

Last year I remember that Kevin Magnussen was pretty fast with McLaren in testing and when the first race came he was on the podium (3rd and later 2nd when Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified). Everybody also saw that Mercedes was super fast! The only team that really surprised me was Red Bull because in testing they were just awful and when the season started Daniel Ricciardo was 2nd. Some said that Red Bull would be one of the worst teams.

Some other years the testing season has shown that even though you are fast in testing it doesn't mean anything. I remember that in 2006 Honda was very fast in testing and when the season started Ferrari was the team that had made most progress. McLaren had gotten worse and Renault was pretty much the same but still the team to beat.

This year I believe that Mercedes and Williams will have the best cars and Ferrari will be much better than last year. Some say that even though Fernando Alonso is a great racer he is not good at developing the car. Sebastian Vettel is much better which might bring the team forward. This helps also Kimi Räikkönen who does not only have more experience than Vettel but has also a similar driving style.

The team that interests me the most is still none of these teams. McLaren-Honda is the one I am very interested of. I was a huge Ayrton Senna fan (and still am) and the last time Honda and McLaren were together they were unstoppable.

I am posting the test results here on the blog every day starting tomorrow.

If you want to follow the testing in real time I suggest that you go to www.autosport.com because they usually have a live feed in every test session.

Wehrlein fastest for Mercedes as Abu Dhabi test ends

A picture I snapped in Abu Dhabi

Pascal Wehrlein ensured Mercedes ended the 2014 season in fitting fashion by going fastest as the final Formula One test of the year drew to a close in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Wehrlein, the team's official reserve driver, hit the front early on and kept himself there by improving his own benchmark several times. The 20-year-old eventually posted a lap of 1m 42.624s to finish just over half a second clear of the chasing pack.

There were further complications for McLaren's interi Honda-powered car, with the team's reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne able to complete just two untimed laps - one fewer than his day one total.

An electrical issue was discovered just as the team was about to head out in the morning, and it was not until the final hour that the car re-emerged from the garage. When it did, it proved short-lived, with Vandoorne stopping on track on just his second lap to signal an end to the team's test.

"Although this looked like another difficult day, this is just part of the learning experience we expected when we took on the interim car programme," McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said. "I'd rather be ironing out these problems here in Abu Dhabi, than discovering them in Jerez, next February."

With times tumbling in the final 30 minutes, Ferrari protege and GP2 race winner Raffaele Marciello - making his F1 test debut with the Scuderia - leapt into second.

"Today was a dream come true," Marciello said. "For an Italian, to jump into a Ferrari, at an official test no less, is a really strong emotion and I am grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity. This being my first time at the wheel of an F14 T, I had to gradually adapt my driving style, but in general, I felt comfortable and I hope I helped the team gather useful data."

Toro Rosso's 2015 rookie Max Verstappen slotted into third. The Dutchman enjoyed a productive morning - in contrast to the first day, when a suspension failure put him in the barriers - but lost running time in the afternoon with a power unit issue.

Sauber's 2015 signing Marcus Ericsson was fourth fastest and finished the day as the only man to break into triple figures in the lap count, on 112. Caterham's Will Stevens ended the day fifth, having been second fastest before others' late improvements.

Spike Goddard, who took over from GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer at Force India, was fractions down the road in sixth. The Australian F3 racer also trialled a new display system developed by Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony on the top of his VJM07's airbox.

Having set the pace on the first day, Williams ended day two in eighth with test and reserve driver Felipe Nasr, who has signed to race for Sauber in 2015.

"Today was really good day. The focus was on the 2015 tyres and longer runs and we learnt a lot," Nasr reflected. "I have to say a big thank you to the whole team for the opportunities they have given me this year and I wish them all the best for the future."

Lotus, meanwhile, occupied ninth and 10th spots courtesy of GP3 champion Alex Lynn and FIA European Formula Three champion Esteban Ocon, who ran in the afternoon and morning respectively.

Unofficial Wednesday times from Abu Dhabi:
1. Pascal Wehrlein, Mercedes, 1m 42.624s, 96 laps
2. Raffaele Marciello, Ferrari, 1m 43.208s, 91 laps
3. Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso, 1m 43.763s, 78 laps
4. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1m 44.551s, 112 laps
5. Will Stevens, Caterham, 1m 44.888s, 76 laps
6. Spike Goddard, Force India, 1m 44.944s, 89 laps
7. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 45.151s, 88 laps
8. Felipe Nasr, Williams, 1m 45.937s, 83 laps
9. Alex Lynn, Lotus, 1m 46.168s, 52 laps
10. Esteban Ocon, Lotus, 1m 47.013s, 34 laps
11. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, no time, 2 laps

(source: f1.com)

Bottas puts Williams on top in Abu Dhabi test

Williams' Valtteri Bottas set the pace on the opening day of the season's final Formula One test in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Fresh from his podium finish at Yas Marina on Sunday, Bottas hit the front early on, spent much of the day at the top of the timesheet, and eventually clocked a lap of 1m 43.396s after improving his own benchmark in the final 15 minutes.

The Finn's progress contrasted with that of McLaren's interim Honda-powered car, its eagerly-anticipated first official runs not coming until the afternoon due to early electrical issues.

When it did appear, the team's official reserve driver and GP2 runner-up Stoffel Vandoorne stopped out on track on only his second lap. The Belgian was able to get out for one final tour in the closing minutes of the session, ending the day with three laps under his belt.

"We'd hoped to get a few more laps today, but we had a fuel data-logging issue that stopped the car a couple of times," Vandoorne explained. "However, the team are already analysing the situation and we'll hopefully cure it ahead of tomorrow. Nevertheless, it's been a very positive day for us. At this stage of development, any lap we complete has a benefit – and it's better to be solving these initial teething problems in November rather than in Jerez next February."

Kimi Raikkonen helped Ferrari finish second overall, while his 2015 team mate and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel spent time in the team's garage meeting his future crew members.

Nico Rosberg was half a second down on Raikkonen in the all-conquering Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid, which he was driving just two days after the agony of his title defeat. The German completed 114 laps - more than any other driver.

Recently-crowned GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer was fourth fastest after an interrupted day with Force India. An engine issue restricted his morning running, while further technical gremlins meant more time was lost in the afternoon, his car rolling to a halt on circuit and triggering one of several red flags.

The Briton did at least manage to get going in the final hour and jumped into third, only to be demoted when Rosberg edged him by just 0.004s late on.

"I really enjoyed my first experience at the wheel of a Formula One car," Palmer said. "Despite a few technical issues early on, in the end we managed to get back on track and have a solid hour of running, getting up to speed fairly quickly. Sahara Force India is a team that gives young drivers good chances and I would love to get a role with them."

Carlos Sainz Junior, this year's Formula Renault 3.5 champion, was fifth fastest in the Red Bull RB10, fractionally ahead of Will Stevens, driving for Caterham after making his Grand Prix debut with the team on Sunday. Both Sainz and Stevens broke into triple figures in the lap count.

Lotus reserve driver Charles Pic was seventh, with Marcus Ericsson - testing for Sauber, with whom he will race next season - and Toro Rosso's 2015 rookie Max Verstappen rounding out the top nine ahead of Vandoorne.

Verstappen also had an interrupted day as a suspension issue put him into the barriers on only his third lap, though he was able to return to the track in the final hours of the afternoon.

"Unfortunately we didn't get much running in the morning, but in the afternoon we carried out very useful long runs, which helped me with my understanding of how to manage the tyres," he reflected. "To be able to run the car for a longer period than just an hour and a half, which is all I had done so far when running in the FP1 sessions, was definitely a good experience and lap by lap, I got more used to the car."

The Dutchman will stay in the STR9 for the second and final day of the Abu Dhabi test. Stevens at Caterham and Vandoorne at McLaren will do likewise, but the rest of today's field will switch.

Among the new faces will be Ferrari protege and GP2 racewinner Raffaele Marciello, Mercedes reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein, and Alex Lynn, this year's GP3 champion and a member of Red Bull's junior team, who will test for Lotus.

Unofficial Tuesday times from Abu Dhabi:
1. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1m 43.396s, 80 laps
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1m 43.888s, 81 laps
3. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 44.512s, 114 laps
4. Jolyon Palmer, Force India, 1m 45.516s, 37 laps
5. Carlos Sainz, Red Bull, 1m 45.339s, 100 laps
6. Will Stevens, Caterham, 1m 45.436s, 102 laps
7. Charles Pic, Lotus, 1m 46.167s, 89 laps
8. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1m 46.253s, 95 laps
9. Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso, 1m 47.194s, 55 laps
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, no time, 3 laps

(source: f1.com)

Fong, Nissany and Ocon complete Valencia test

Three up-and-coming drivers got the chance to experience F1 machinery in a two-day test in Valencia, Spain this week. Adderly Fong and Roy Nissany both sampled a two-year old Sauber, while Esteban Ocon was at the wheel of an identical-vintage Lotus.

Chinese driver Fong, 24, and Israeli Nissany, 19, got one day each in the Ferrari-powered Sauber C31 and both completed 99 laps of the 4.005-kilometre circuit.

“I am very happy that I had the opportunity to test the Sauber,” said Fong, who has competed in several single-seater championships in Asia and Europe, and this year is focusing on the Audi R8 LMS Cup, an Asia-based sprint race series. 

“I have achieved my objective to complete 300 km without making any mistakes and at a good speed. The car was fantastic to drive, it is a brilliant piece of machinery. With so much horsepower and high downforce, it is a difficult car to learn, but I was able to improve lap by lap. I really want to thank Sauber and Ferrai for providing me such a good package today. It was great being able to test the car at the track in Valencia, having started Formula Three testing here in 2009.”

Nissany, son of one-time Minardi tester Chanoch Nissany and currently competing in European F3, said of his F1 outing: “It was an amazing day. It was my first time driving a Formula One car, and it felt great. I was quite excited at the beginning, and I think I feel more experienced now.

“Going through the fast corners with this high amount of downforce and adapting my driving style to this car was not easy, but I managed to do everything well. I am very happy with today’s outcome, not just from my side, but also from the team’s side, as everyone works very professionally. I knew the track in Valencia, so I think that was a good advantage.”

Frenchman Ocon, meanwhile, earned his two-day session in Lotus’s E20 as reward for winning the FIA Formula Three Championship in his rookie season this year. The 18-year-old has been part of Lotus’s junior programme since 2010 and the F1 test formed part of his ongoing development with the team.

(source: f1.com)

DTM champion Wittmann earns Toro Rosso test

Marco Wittmann will enjoy his first taste of Formula One machinery after earning a test with Toro Rosso as a reward for clinching this year's DTM title with BMW.

The 24-year-old German's test was announced by BMW motorsport chief Jens Marquardt following the DTM's season finale at Hockenheim on Sunday.

"It is up to us to reward [Wittmann] for his services," Marquardt said. "Therefore, BMW M GmbH has come up with something special - I am delighted we can make his childhood dream come true with the Formula One test.

"Thanks to good relations with our premium partner Red Bull, we were able to arrange a test drive at Toro Rosso. We are excited to see how he fares in this vehicle!"

Wittmann, who also extended his contract with BMW, told his official website: "I'm overwhelmed. The whole season was amazing; now standing as a DTM champion [with] the contract extension and a Formula One test - this is a dream for me."

Wittmann raced in a variety of single-seater championships prior to his move into saloon cars, and in 2011 finished runner-up to Caterham F1 tester Roberto Merhi in the Formula Three Euro Series.

He switched into the DTM two years later, scoring one podium and finishing eighth overall in his rookie season. He has triumphed four times this year, wrapping up the title with two races to spare.

(source: f1.com)

Sauber to test Fong and Nissany in Valencia

Sauber have announced that up-and-coming racers Adderly Fong and Roy Nissany will both be given the opportunity to test a two-year-old Sauber C31 in Spain next week.

24-year-old Chinese driver Fong has competed in several single-seater championships in Asia and Europe, focusing this year on the Audi R8 LMS Cup, an Asia-based sprint race series. 
Nissany, meanwhile, is a 19-year-old Israeli, who also holds a French passport, and is currently competing in his second season in the FIA Formula Three European Championship. He’s also the son of one-time Minardi tester Chanoch Nissany.
“I am very pleased I am going to test a Sauber C31 in Valencia,” said Fong. “It will be my first time driving a Formula One car with this high a power to weight ratio, and I am looking forward to it.”
Nissany echoed Fong’s enthusiasm: “I am delighted to have the chance to test the Sauber C31, and I will put lots of efforts into it to do a good job.”
Joining Fong and Nissany at the two-day test at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, which commences on October 22, will be Esteban Ocon. The 18-year-old Frenchman, who recently won the FIA Formula Three Championship in his rookie season, will be driving a two-year-old Lotus. 


(source: f1.com)

The Science of Driving Excitement in a Ferrari 458

Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso had a very interesting test before the previous grand prix to see how much their heartbeat changes when driving fast.

They were both pretty calm but later a journalist tried the same thing (you can't see it on this video) and his heartbeat went up like a rocket!

Bianchi fastest for Ferrari as Silverstone test ends

Jules Bianchi made the most of his late call-up from Ferrari to set the pace on the second and final day of Formula One’s in-season test at Silverstone.

The Frenchman, drafted in to replace Kimi Raikkonen - who sustained bruising in a crash during Sunday’s race in Great Britain - hit the front in the final hour as he worked down to a 1m 35.262s.

That was enough to put him a quarter of a second clear of midday pacesetter Daniil Kvyat, who managed 1m 35.544s in the Toro Rosso STR9.

McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen, fastest in the early stages of the day, was three tenths of a second further down the road. The Dane was the busiest man of the day, racking up 91 laps in total - two more than Bianchi - in a programme split between aero and tyre evaluations.

Sauber’s test and reserve driver Giedo van der Garde leapt up into fourth in the closing stages of the day, little over one second behind Bianchi. He brought proceedings to an early close however when he hit the barriers at Copse, triggering red flags that then flew for the final 15 minutes of the day.

"It was a pretty hard crash," he reflected. "All the lights went on so I had to go to the medical centre. They checked everything and I am fine.

"I came out of the corner I had a little snap and I caught it, but then suddenly it went the other way and I lost it completely. It's a pity because we were going quite well today."

Van der Garde added that Sauber had tried "a different programme" in the afternoon as a result of the possible ban on Front-and-Rear Interconnected Suspension (FRIC) systems.

His late surge demoted Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to fifth, with the Silverstone race winner posting a best time of 1m 36.680s.

"It wasn't an easy day today; we had great weather but unfortunately had some problems at the start of the day which meant we lost some track time," said Hamilton, who was also delayed by an engine change. "It could have been a lot worse as it could have been raining or we could have even done no laps, but some of the things we've tried in the car feel really positive."

The Briton was followed by Williams’ Valtteri Bottas, Marussia’s Max Chilton and Force India’s test and reserve driver Daniel Juncadella, who was competing in only his fourth F1 session.

Red Bull’s four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was, like Hamilton, delayed by an engine change. He ended a day dedicated to development work for Pirelli in ninth, ahead of Charles Pic - who spent part of his day trialling the Italian manufacturer's new 18-inch prototype tyres with Lotus.

Caterham's Julian Leal rounded out the order, having lost almost six hours of running time with a CU-H issue - which also prevented the team from running Rio Haryanto as originally planned.

"With the time delay we didn't have a chance to really work on set-up options, but I was quite quickly comfortable with the balance of the car and the way the power came in," said Leal, who is now eligible to apply for an FIA Super Licence after completing more than 300 kilometres in total.

"All day I was on relatively high fuel and if we'd had a chance to do a performance run on the softs I'd have ended up with a quicker time, but overall I'm still pleased with how it went. Obviously today wasn't about times, it was about mileage, learning how to work with the team and start to understand how to maximise the performance of a 2014 F1 car, and I feel like I've made a good step with all of those."

Unofficial Wednesday times from Silverstone
1. Jules Bianchi, Ferrari, 1m 35.262s, 89 laps
2. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso, 1m 35.544s, 55 laps
3. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren, 1m 35.593s, 91 laps
4. Giedo van der Garde, Sauber, 1m 36.327s, 84 laps
5. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m 36.680s, 47 laps
6. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1m 37.193s, 40 laps
7. Max Chilton, Marussia, 1m 37.359s, 77 laps
8. Daniel Juncadella, Force India, 1m 37.449s, 52 laps
9. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1m 39.410s, 76 laps
10. Charles Pic, Lotus, 1m 41.906s, 39 laps
11. Julian Leal, Caterham, 1m 42.635s, 51 laps

(source: f1.com)

Massa puts Williams on top at Silverstone test

Felipe Massa set the pace on the first of two days of Formula One testing at Silverstone on Tuesday.

The Williams driver clocked a time of 1m 35.242s, just 0.006s quicker than Daniel Ricciardo's best lap for Red Bull.

“The car was very competitive during the race so today we have built on a very good platform,” reported Massa. “The test today was experimenting with some parts for future races as well as a little bit for next year. 

“The car felt really good, so we know we will go to Hockenheim with a good car. The programme went to plan today and we didn't have any rain so it was a very productive day.”

Championship leader Nico Rosberg was third fastest for Mercedes after a busy session in which the team focussed on aero testing, brake cooling evaluations and engine system checks, plus set-up work.

“It's so valuable to do these test days; over a race weekend it's rare to get two runs in the day that are the same as tyres are getting old and conditions change but here we can always use new tyres, so we can really do some setup work that we don't normally get to do,” explained Rosberg.

“It was very useful and we learned a lot today. We will be able to use this information going into the next race.”

Adrian Sutil tested some new aero parts on his way to fourth for Sauber and afterwards declared himself pleased with his day’s work: “It was a good day, as I was able to do a lot of laps. In the morning everything worked well except for a small issue with the powertrain, which we were able to solve quickly.

“We worked a lot with the medium and hard tyres in order to understand them better. Besides that, we also worked on the set-up to improve the balance of the car. In the afternoon we tried different set-ups. So far we cannot say which set-up worked the best, but all in all it was a good day during which we went through our planned programme. At the end of the day we did short runs with the soft tyres, which was also helpful.”

Marussia's Jules Bianchi, who will drive for Ferrari on Wednesday, completed the top five. The Frenchman spent the day doing development work for Pirelli, but his running was curtailed by a small fire underneath his MR03’s bodywork in the afternoon session. 

McLaren test and reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne, having his second run of the year in the MP4-29, was sixth fastest, just ahead of the Force India of Sergio Perez.

Jean-Eric Vergne clocked the eighth fastest time of the day, but after a productive morning his afternoon was compromised as Toro Rosso ran into technical problems whilst shaking down some new energy store batteries.

Pastor Maldonado was ninth fastest for Lotus, just ahead of the Ferrari of Pedro de la Rosa. Ferrari, like Marussia, focused purely on tyre development work for Pirelli on Tuesday, however the Spaniard’s running on prototype 2015 tyres was brought to a premature end by a coolant leak.

“It was great to be able to drive the actual car after so much work in the simulator, especially at a track like Silverstone,” said De la Rosa.

“I think today was very useful both for me and for the team. We worked a lot on race simulation, always running with a high fuel load, so as to understand as much as possible about the new tyres. We learned a lot and even if I can’t make a direct comparison to this year’s tyres, the feeling I got is that they do represent a step forward.”

Completing the timesheet was young British driver Will Stevens in the Caterham.

“I’ve done a lot of mileage already this year in the 2014 car but all in the simulator, so it was really good to be in the real car and to have a decent day at Silverstone,” he said.

“The morning session was a bit stop/start as we had a few software issues that needed fixing, but we still completed 71 laps by the time we stopped break and by then I was increasingly comfortable in the car.

“By the end of the day we’d completed 13 runs with a total of 95 laps and have a lot of data for the guys back at the factory to work through. I know the plan tomorrow for Julian and Rio is similar so hopefully we can have another productive day and leave Silverstone on a positive note. After my day today that’s exactly what I’m going to do!”

Testing concludes at Silverstone on Wednesday when Lotus will be demoing Pirelli's prototype 18-inch tyres.

Unofficial Tuesday times from Silverstone
1. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1m 35.242s, 42 laps
2. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 35.248s, 71 laps
3. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 35.573s, 89 laps
4. Adrian Sutil, Sauber, 1m 35.674s, 73 laps
5. Jules Bianchi, Marussia, 1m 36.148s, 108 laps
6. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, 1m 36.462s, 71 laps
7. Sergio Perez, Force India, 1m 36.583s, 79 laps
8. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1m 36.688s, 28 laps
9. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus, 1m 37.131s, 97 laps
10. Pedro de la Rosa, Ferrari, 1m 37.988s, 49 laps
11. Will Stevens, Caterham, 1m 40.627s, 95 laps

(source: f1.com)

Bianchi to replace Raikkonen at Silverstone test

Ferrari have confirmed that Kimi Raikkonen will miss this week’s test at Silverstone to aid his recovery from the bruising he sustained in a high-speed crash on lap one of Sunday’s race in Great Britain.

The 34-year-old will be replaced at the test by Marussia driver Jules Bianchi, a Ferrari Driver Academy member since 2010.

Raikkonen brought out the red flags in the early stages of Sunday’s race after losing control of his car on the Wellington Straight and striking the barriers with an impact measured at 47G. 

The Finn was pictured limping away from his badly damaged F14 T following the accident, but Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci has said that he sustained no serious injuries: “The most important news right now is that Kimi is alright, even though the impact with the barriers was a heavy one. 

"He has some bruising and will now be resting to be in shape for the next race.”

Raikkonen’s accident compounded a miserable weekend for the 2007 world champion in which he was also eliminated from qualifying in Q1.

(source: f1.com)

Caterham add Haryanto for post-race Silverstone test

Caterham have announced that Indonesia's Rio Haryanto will drive the team's CT05 on the second day of next month's post-race test at Silverstone.

Haryanto, who is currently competing with Caterham's junior arm in GP2, has previous F1 testing experience - with Virgin Racing in Abu Dhabi in 2010, and then across two days at Silverstone with Marussia in 2012.

"I can't wait to be back in an F1 car and I'm delighted it's with Caterham F1 Team, the senior team to EQ8 Caterham Racing," said the 21-year-old, currently tenth in the GP2 standings.

"The last time I drove an F1 car was at the young driver test at Silverstone in 2012 and with the new engine regulations this year I'm sure it'll be a very different experience.

"The goal for me is to use this day as another learning experience, another chance to build on the F1 laps I've already done, and while my focus before the test is obviously to do the best job I can in GP2, I will be 100 percent ready to work to the plan the team set and help them develop as best I can."

Haryanto will take over from Caterham test driver Will Stevens, who will be charged with driving duties on the first day.

The two-day Silverstone test is the third of four in-season tests arranged for 2014, and runs from July 8-9.

(source: f1.com)

Caterham confirm Stevens for post-race Silverstone test

Caterham have announced that test driver Will Stevens will drive the team’s CT05 on the first of two days of testing at Silverstone following July’s 2014 Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix.

Stevens, currently fourth in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series with 68 points, made his F1 debut with the Leafield-based squad during last year’s young driver test at the Northamptonshire venue and has since played an integral role in developing their driver-in-the-loop simulator. The 22-year-old Briton has also provided race weekend support to Caterham in his role as the team’s test driver. 

“It’ll be great to be back in an F1 car for the first time since the 2013 Silverstone test and with the amount of time I’ve already spent in the virtual car in the simulator, I can’t wait to see how it compares to the real thing,” said Stevens. 

“I’m sure we’ll have a busy run-plan set for the day and my focus will be on doing the best job I can for the team, building on the work I’ve been doing all year in the sim at Leafield.”

The Silverstone session is the third of four in-season tests in 2014 and runs from July 8-9.

(source: f1.com)

Maldonado hails 'big step forward' for Lotus after test

Pastor Maldonado believes Lotus made real and significant progress during this week's two-day test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Venezuelan topped the day-two timesheet and racked up more than 100 laps on what was his first trouble-free day of testing in 2014.

In addition to Maldonado's running, reserve driver Charles Pic managed 70 laps on day one, making the session Lotus's most productive test of the year so far. 

The Enstone-based squad had previously suffered poor reliability in testing, with pre-season being particularly torrid. In Bahrain in February the team averaged just 29 laps per day over eight days on track.

Maldonado said his smooth run in Spain was crucial, allowing the team to make strides with both set-up and performance work.

"It's been a big step forward," Maldonado said of the second day. "That was a complete day for us and my first normal day of testing this season.

"We didn't have any problems and we gained a lot of good running with good track conditions compared to [day one]. We ran to plan and completed everything we wanted to do. 

"We learnt a lot more about the car, the set-up and performance is improving all the time so I'm feeling more comfortable to push too. Hopefully [that] means we'll be much better for the rest of the season."

Alan Permane, Lotus's trackside operations director, said Lotus's prospects for the rest of the 2014 campaign had been lifted by the two days in Barcelona.

"We completed everything we set out to do today," he explained, "including aero assessments, mapping work, energy recovery scenarios, evaluations of set-up and ride height, tyre usage programmes and so on and I'm pleased to say the E22 didn't miss a beat. 

"We completed over 100 laps today so it's been very good to see what is possible when we have good reliability. 

"With the data we have collected over the last two days and the progress we've made, we're in much better shape heading to the next races. There is plenty of potential in the E22."

Lotus's positive test performance comes off the back of their first points finish of the year, with Romain Grosjean having claimed eighth place in Barcelona last weekend.

(source: f1.com)

Maldonado puts Lotus on top as Barcelona test ends

Pastor Maldonado capped a promising test for Lotus by going fastest on the second and final day of this week's test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Venezuelan set the early pace and led for the majority of the day, racking up 102 laps in the process. A late change to Pirelli's super soft compound then thrust him to the top, as he worked down to a 1m 24.871s - faster than Lewis Hamilton's pole time, and almost one second better than Nico Rosberg managed for Mercedes.

The German also broke into triple figures on the lap count, while his run included a first trial of the Mercedes' prototype 'megaphone' exhaust. The team removed the device for Rosberg's later runs.

Kimi Raikkonen was third for Ferrari, racking up 94 laps as the team recovered from a disrupted first day in Barcelona. A late run meanwhile lifted the Ferrari-powered Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez into fourth, half a second down the road. The team suffered a brief fire at the rear of the Mexican's car before lunch, but otherwise enjoyed a relatively trouble-free day.

Gutierrez's late run carried him above the Williams of Susie Wolff, who tested the Mercedes-powered FW36 for the first time ahead of her Friday practice debut at Silverstone in July.

Wolff's fastest time, a 1m 27.280s, was set on the soft compound and was enough for fifth overall. She steadily improved throughout the day, with her only mistake coming when she spun exiting Turn 10 early on.

Marussia's Jules Bianchi was another late improver, as a final run on the soft compound elevated him into sixth and ahead of the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel.

The four-time champion suffered a problematic day and did not emerge for the first two hours, with the team subsequently confirming gearbox issues had caused the delay.

Force India's Daniel Juncadella and Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat also hit trouble - the former running off at Turn 4, and the latter causing two red flags - on their way to eighth and 10th respectively. Juncadella's day was devoted to tyre development work for Pirelli.

The pair sandwiched Belgian youngster Stoffel Vandoorne, who managed an impressive 136 laps - enough to qualify for a Super Licence - on his F1 debut with McLaren.

"This has been a fantastic day for me: my first experience in a Formula One car, and a really great opportunity to get plenty of laps under my belt," Vandoorne said.

"I want to say a big thank you to the team. It's also great to have been able to contribute to the test programme: 136 laps today was a fantastic achievement, and it's great that it's earned me my F1 Super Licence."

Caterham meanwhile were unable to run at all due to damage following Kamui Kobayashi's crash in the closing stages of day one.

Unofficial Wednesday times from Barcelona:
1. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus, 1m 24.871s, 102 laps
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 25.805, 102 laps
3. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1m 26.480, 94 laps
4. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1m 26.972s, 85 laps
5. Susie Wolff, Williams, 1m 27.280s, 55 laps
6. Jules Bianchi, Marussia, 1m 27.718s, 55 laps
7. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1m 27.973s, 73 laps
8. Daniel Juncadella, Force India, 1m 28.278s, 91 laps
9. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, 1m 28.441s, 136 laps
10. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso, 1m 28.910s, 21 laps

(source: f1.com)

AYRTON SENNA WEEK: First Formula 1 Test 1983 (with English subtitles)

Hamilton keeps Mercedes on top as Bahrain test ends

Lewis Hamilton kept Mercedes on top as the first of this year’s four in-season tests concluded in Bahrain.

The Briton finished a comfortable 1.4 seconds clear of the field on the second day, although his best time of 1m 34.136s was set on a development tyre - Mercedes having agreed to dedicate the day exclusively to compound work for Pirelli. 

Each of the 11 teams will do likewise over the eight days of in-season testing, with Caterham and Williams having joined Mercedes as Pirelli’s designated teams for the Bahrain test.

Hamilton was also the only driver to break into triple figures in the lap count, completing 120 in total. That was in stark contrast to Ferrari, whose attempts to improve their form suffered a setback when they were forced to abandon running as a “precautionary measure” when the chassis of Fernando Alonso’s F14 T was found to be damaged. The Spaniard managed just 12 laps.

Jean-Eric Vergne, taking over from team mate Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso, went second fastest after focusing on aero work and data acquisition.

“It was not a completely trouble free day, but that’s what testing is about,” the Frenchman said. “We got some serious work done today that can inform us on the way to move forward for the next part of the season. From that point of view, today was very productive and important.”

McLaren opted to stick with Kevin Magnussen on day two, but he also suffered problems as a mechanical issue sent him into the gravel just before midday. 

Fresh from his podium on Sunday, Force India’s Sergio Perez clocked the fourth fastest time, just ahead of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Marussia’s Jules Bianchi. The Australian was delayed by an electrical problem in the morning, but was able to undertake aerodynamic work in the afternoon. The Frenchman, meanwhile, spent the morning exploring various set-up options on Pirelli’s medium compound, before moving onto analysing brake developments in the afternoon.

Sauber reserve driver Giedo van der Garde took over from Russian rookie Sergey Sirotkin for the second day, but had to contend with power unit gremlins in the morning. He eventually managed 77 laps en route to finish seventh fastest – more than three seconds down on Hamilton, but still ahead of Alonso.

"We found something interesting during the long runs in the end," said Van der Garde. "Besides that, I think the performance run was also quite good as it was during the hottest part of the day, so the time was pretty good. 

"All in all, I am happy that I got the chance to drive the C33 again and I am looking forward to being back behind the wheel for FP1 in China.”

Caterham were also waylaid by early technical problems on what was a very hot day, with temperatures in excess of 30 degrees Celsius. The team managed to fix its ERS complaints however, and Marcus Ericsson completed 66 laps by the close of play.

That was two more laps than Williams’ reserve driver Felipe Nasr managed. The Brazilian, like Hamilton, spent the day doing development work for Pirelli.

Lotus rounded out the timesheets, with Romain Grosjean suffering power unit issues as he completed just 16 laps in total, the fastest of which was over nine seconds off Hamilton’s best in the F1 W05. 

Unofficial Wednesday times from Bahrain:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m 34.136s, 120 laps
2. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1m 35.557s, 64 laps
3. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren, 1m 36.203s, 26 laps
4. Sergio Perez, Force India, 1m 36.586s, 63 laps
5. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 37.310s, 67 laps
6. Jules Bianchi, Marussia, 1m 37.316s, 93 laps
7. Giedo van der Garde, Sauber, 1m 37.623s, 77 laps
8. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1m 37.912s, 12 laps
9. Marcus Ericsson, Caterham, 1m 39.263s, 66 laps
10. Felipe Nasr, Williams, 1m 39.879s, 64 laps
11. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1m 43.732s, 16 laps

(source: f1.com)