[Driver] Abu Dhabi Young Driver test

[strider]

Although this is only for a couple of days, I thought it was worth starting a new thread, because it's something fresh and important for the future to talk about

Jean-Eric Vergne has taken over where Daniel Ricciardo left off twelve months ago - jumped into the Red Bull and been easily fastest in the first morning session. Report and times:

Pos  Driver               Team                  Time      Laps
 1.  Jean-Eric Vergne     Red Bull-Renault      1m40.707s  33
 2.  Jules Bianchi        Ferrari               1m42.632s  34
 3.  Oliver Turvey        McLaren-Mercedes      1m43.502s  35
 4.  Valtteri Bottas      Williams-Cosworth     1m43.816s  47
 5.  Fabio Leimer         Sauber-Ferrari        1m44.354s  34
 6.  Robert Wickens       Renault               1m44.579s  29
 7.  Rodolfo Gonzalez     Lotus-Renault         1m45.026s  44
 8.  Sam Bird             Mercedes GP           1m45.564s  12
 9.  Max Chilton          Force India-Mercedes  1m45.714s  42
10.  Dani Clos            HRT-Cosworth          1m46.922s  39
11.  Stefano Coletti      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m47.008s  42
12.  Adrian Quaife-Hobbs  Virgin-Cosworth       1m47.292s  32

All Timing Unofficial

[bella]

quite a few really uninspiring drivers in there. one or two are just an insult to the teams involved really!

[snowdog140]

Gonzalez is there because of his money, lets be honest, and while I think the idea of a prize test is a good one (Wickens for example), I think Quaife-Hobbs is way too inexperienced, he's only done GP3 after all, why test someone like that when you can have a serious evaluation going on, although from what I've heard Pic has pretty much signed a race deal with Virgin/Marussia.

[strider]

That's exactly what I thought, bella, but I'm glad you said it! I think 5 or 6 are worth looking at.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by bella

quite a few really uninspiring drivers in there. one or two are just an insult to the teams involved really!

I must say, I thought the same, bella.

Was disappointed to see how many unrecognisable names there were. It's at times like these where we desperately need the 'next big thing's getting an opportunity in a car. But instead we have quite a few fellas who potentially have more cash than talent (at this stage in their career, at least).

Also disappointing to see Paffett on there. That's an insult to 'Young Drivers Test'.

Selby

[bella]

they're entirely recognisable but for a couple of them it's simply too early to be playing around with f1 cars in the same way they play around with gp2 cars at a test. i don't see the point in investing that much money when you're not developed or mature as a driver or a person.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Oh yeh, by unrecognisable, that's purely personal, of course.

I was just expecting alot more recognisable/successful names to be a part of that list, ie. closer to realistically becoming an F1 talent.

Selby

[strider]

The day is over now. There were one or two driver changes for the afternoon session, but JEV went faster and stayed at the top of the list. Report and aggregate times:

Pos  Driver               Team                  Time      Laps
 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

[strider]

Incidentally, I do agree about it somehow being wrong and a wasted opportunity for Gary Paffett to be out there. Maybe McLaren are trying to steal a march on the opposition in some way. I was expecting better of Turvey.

[bella]

i think turvey's being groomed as a professional test driver, he seems to fit the mould perfectly.

looking at it on the plus side, i think it's a good time for some of the other guys like nathanael berthon, stefano coletti and dani clos to have a go in the cars - to me, they are the kind of guys who should be in the test. and schemes like the one virgin/manor have to reward their highest placed gp3 driver, renault's to reward the fr3.5 title winner and giving seat time to 3rd drivers like sam bird and robert wickens are all fair play.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by strider

Incidentally, I do agree about it somehow being wrong and a wasted opportunity for Gary Paffett to be out there. Maybe McLaren are trying to steal a march on the opposition in some way. I was expecting better of Turvey.

Do we really believe that Paffett is 3 seconds a lap off a rookie? Of course not, so in the same way, why be disappointed by Turvey? We don't know what program he was running.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Mr V

Do we really believe that Paffett is 3 seconds a lap off a rookie? Of course not, so in the same way, why be disappointed by Turvey? We don't know what program he was running.

Exactly. It's only testing.

[Super Hans]

I think we'll see Vergne, Bianchi and Pic in F1 before too long, which is encouraging when you consider the dearth of French F1 talent in recent years.

There are clearly a few cheque book drivers in that list, but that's to expected.

[ptclaus98]

Rodolfo may be a checkbook guy, but what does it say about Sam Bird that he's only five tenths quicker in a massively better car? I realize Merc might have had the reigns on him, but you'd think he'd be worth more than that. I don't think any of them have shamed themselves, to be honest.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

Rodolfo may be a checkbook guy, but what does it say about Sam Bird that he's only five tenths quicker in a massively better car? I realize Merc might have had the reigns on him, but you'd think he'd be worth more than that. I don't think any of them have shamed themselves, to be honest.

It's impossible to say. The guys with the chequebooks might have an agreement with the teams that they get a few 'glory laps' on fresh tyres, light tanks, quali set-up...etc, whereas the others are on proper testing programmes.

That's the thing with testing - we don't really know what's going on and so we will in the gaps with conjecture.

[miniman]

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

Rodolfo may be a checkbook guy, but what does it say about Sam Bird that he's only five tenths quicker in a massively better car? I realize Merc might have had the reigns on him, but you'd think he'd be worth more than that. I don't think any of them have shamed themselves, to be honest.

1 . 5/10ths is actually a lot in racing terms
2. Knowing Mercedes, Bird was more than likely doing serious testing and not quick low fuel, new tyre runs. You can't do simple time comparisons in these tests

[AMP Marshal]

I'm in for anything that will get another Canadian driver closer to F1, considering there hasn't been one since JV in 06 with Sauber. Bruno Spengler looks like he's stuck in the DTM, so go Wickens. I can hope can't I.

[strider]

Originally Posted by bella

i think turvey's being groomed as a professional test driver, he seems to fit the mould perfectly.

Maybe you're right. He does seem to have stepped off the escalator that leads to the very top.

Still not totally happy about Paffett. Not because he's not relatively quick; as others have said it is a test, not a qualifying session, but I would like to have seen McLaren give someone else a shot. Perhaps they felt Paffett deserved some track action after the hours and hours he's spent in the simulator this season.

[JeremySmith]

Well they might be calling this a young driver test, but at the same time they are testing new bits and 2012 tyres aren't they..

[bella]

roberto merhi (f3 euroseries champion) has predictably had a bit of a moan about the young driver tests:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96252

i hate to say it, but a big chunk of it now is networking, making the most of opportunities, being sponsor friendly and accomodating as well as downright talented. you *are* a pr agent at the end of the day. that said, it's pretty obnoxious when you get into a f1 test based purely on daddy's wealth/identity or government/taxpayers money.

[chunterer]

We can be fairly sure that the Red Bull and Ferrari were going for times at some point judging by the gap back to Wickens who was likely probably asked not to bend the car and accrue data, and sensible chap that he is, did what they asked. On the other hand on quick runs the Enstone is probably about that far off those 2 cars with regular drivers aboard?

I would like to have seen Bird get a proper go just to see, mind you he might get that before end 3 days are done?

Agreed with the consensus that there really are some guys in there wasting seat time for drivers who are much closer to being ready for F1 duty.

[Peat]

Enough kerb Johnny?

[strider]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Well they might be calling this a young driver test, but at the same time they are testing new bits and 2012 tyres aren't they..

Yes, that's true, but only Williams are testing the 2012 exhaust as far as I know and that's the most important change. Mostly they're having a look at young drivers.

JEV continues to rule the roost despite only getting 17 laps this morning. Report and times:

Pos  Driver               Team                  Time      Laps
 1.  Jean-Eric Vergne     Red Bull-Renault      1m40.188s   17
 2.  Jules Bianchi        Ferrari               1m40.838s   45
 3.  Valtteri Bottas      Williams-Cosworth     1m42.548s   38
 4.  Gary Paffett         McLaren-Mercedes      1m42.645s   23
 5.  Esteban Gutierrez    Sauber-Ferrari        1m43.637s   47
 6.  Sam Bird             Mercedes GP           1m43.734s   43
 7.  Luiz Razia           Lotus-Renault         1m44.323s   44
 8.  Kevin Korjus         Renault               1m44.425s   38
 9.  Kevin Ceccon         Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m44.947s   41
10.  Johnny Cecotto Jr    Force India-Mercedes  1m45.475s   39
11.  Jan Charouz          HRT-Cosworth          1m46.728s   37
12.  Charles Pic          Virgin-Cosworth       1m48.397s   21

All Timing Unofficial

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by bella

roberto merhi (f3 euroseries champion) has predictably had a bit of a moan about the young driver tests:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96252

i hate to say it, but a big chunk of it now is networking, making the most of opportunities, being sponsor friendly and accomodating as well as downright talented. you *are* a pr agent at the end of the day. that said, it's pretty obnoxious when you get into a f1 test based purely on daddy's wealth/identity or government/taxpayers money.

That's the part that bothers me.

With virtually non-existant (comparitively..) amounts of testing, we should be seeing all the guys who are knocking on F1's door being given a genuine shot, NOT networking and making a quick buck. It really isn't the Young Drivers Test if it's full of guys looking to get a bit of a quick backdoor in.

Selby

[Born Racer]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Well they might be calling this a young driver test, but at the same time they are testing new bits and 2012 tyres aren't they..

I don't so much blame McLaren for putting Paffett in, but was there any kind of gentlemen's agreement over what would constitute the young driver tests? You can understand teams wanting to put in a known good tester to achieve results for next year. The thing's a bit of a mess. The lack of testing has put paid to a number of drivers' F1 careers or potential careers.

I'm not going to call a simulator a glorified Playstation game, because I understand the sophistication is such that "testing some new parts in the simulator" does not engender a snigger, but is seriously valuable work; nevertheless, I don't imagine it's a complete substitute for real track time.