To show that Formula One teams can agree on nothing, including how best to save costs, three teams participated in the season’s second young drivers test. This week saw Ferrari, Mercedes GP and Force India put some of their potential future drivers through their paces. The most intriguing news from the test is that the teams were testing new parts for the stretch run of this year’s championship.
Day 1 (September 11)
Jules Bianchi may be the Force India test and reserve driver this season but he’s still part of the Ferrari driving family. That meant that he got a day in the Ferrari F2012 and was fastest, unsurprisingly. Bianchi’s task for the day was to collect aerodynamic data for the team as the team was testing a new front wing.
GP2 driver Luiz Razia was 2nd fastest in his first drive for Force India. Sam Bird, who drives in Formula Renault 3.5, had an extensive testing program for Mercedes AMG GP. He was gathering data on Pirelli tyres, testing a new exhaust layout and did further work on the double-DRS.
- Jules Bianchi – Ferrari – 1:18.070
- Luiz Razia – Force India-Mercedes – 1:18.535
- Sam Bird – Mercedes – 1:19.094
Day 2 (September 12)
Jules Bianchi may have strapped into the Force India on the second day of the Young Drivers test but it didn’t slow him. The change of car didn’t prevent him from topping the time sheets for the second straight day.
Sam Bird stayed in the car for Mercedes and managed to time in second fastest. The team continued work evaluating the new parts and figuring out Pirelli’s soft tyres. Ferrari’s car was piloted by Davide Rigon. This was his first time in a race car since a massive GP2 crash in Istanbul resulted in multiple fractures to his tibia and fibula. Given the circumstances, I’d say being less than 1.5 seconds off the pace and covering over 700 km during the day is pretty good.
- Jules Bianchi – Force India-Ferrari – 1:16.467
- Sam Bird – Mercedes – 1:17.482
- Davide Rigon – Ferrari – 1:17.925
Day 3 (September 13)
Another change of car didn’t slow down Jules Bianchi. Back behind the wheel of the Ferrari F2012, Bianchi set the fastest time for the third straight day of the Young Drivers test. Ferrari was able to get some valuable evaluation work done on the intermediate tyres during some damp weather early in the morning.
Two new drivers were in the other two cars at the test. Venezuelan GP2 driver Rodolfo Gonzalez took the wheel for Force India. He previously drove in the 2010 Young Driver test for Lotus (now Caterham). New Zealander Brendon Hartley timed in third for Mercedes. Hartley was a Red Bull and Toro Rosso test and reserve driver in 2009 and 2010.
- Jules Bianchi – Ferrari – 1:16.985
- Rodolfo Gonzalez – Force India-Mercedes – 1:18.018
- Brendon Hartley – Mercedes – 1:18 .671
The Lowdown 