Silverstone - Young driver test

[Greig]

Or not so young driver test as it now is. Ferrari confirm Davide Rigon and Felipe Massa driving.

[stefa]

Or not so young driver test as it now is. Ferrari confirm Davide Rigon and Felipe Massa driving.

Alonso is not testing?!?!?!?!?

[fadyferrari]

Or not so young driver test as it now is. Ferrari confirm Davide Rigon and Felipe Massa driving.

Is it just me or alonso doesnt like testing??

[radosav]

Better this way! While using young driver we can test lot of new parts ,and when they find best upgrades with David , Felipe can test it! Fernando isn't necessary this time!

[Katu]

Is it just me or alonso doesnt like testing??

he said he would gladly go if call came. apparently it didn't

[Greig]

Maybe Fernando is doing some samurai training instead lol

[radosav]

Maybe Fernando is doing some samurai training instead lol

Maybe he is testing something with Dasha?

[fadyferrari]

he said he would gladly go if call came. apparently it didn't

He should be in that car atleast for a day....but i guess the team know better....anyway the star drivers input wouldnt really have hurt .....

[Suzie]

Maybe Fernando is doing some samurai training instead lol

...or waxing his legs.

[Rob]

Just read that Merc will receive Pirelli tyre data from the test.

[hudson77]

I will be there on Thursday, only £15 a ticket, and managed to get a B&B 12 miles away for £19
Had a few days spare and thought...why not

[PURE PASSION]

Well it's a bit strange (not only for us) that we are complaining all the time about more test time and when an opportunity is given all teams react a bit numb i would say!!!
I expected the top teams to run with both race drivers full time to exploit every second in track!!!!
But ,as told before, they know better so i only hope that we take the bast out of this test!!!

[Jas]

As speculated, Fernando Alonso will miss this week's test at Silverstone as Felipe Massa is joined by Italian youngster Davide Rigon.

The Italian, who has been on the books of the Maranello outfit since 2011, will take to the track on all three days, vacating the cockpit for Massa only on Friday morning, when the Brazilian will be able to assess the new Pirelli compounds.

The team has taken this decision so that Rigon will be able to work on the technical development of the car, while also giving useful cockpit time to Felipe, who is keen to get back on track after his rather short German GP.

Race drivers have been given dispensation by the FIA to drive at this test, as a result of the tyre problems that occurred at Silverstone during the Grand Prix in June.

The programme has been established solely by Pirelli and approved by the FIA, with a fixed number of sets available.

[Jas]

Tbh I think they have taken the best route, although I would have given half a day to Alonso! Ferrari Know they have to increase the pace and with developments seemingly not working they need every minute on track aka...the need to test with a young driver! If im honest, I don't think the tyres will be majorly different so Alonso...and all the drivers like vettel etc should be okay!

[Greig]

Just read that Merc will receive Pirelli tyre data from the test.

I think that is fair enough since they are changing the tyres.

[Rob]

I think that is fair enough since they are changing the tyres.

Really? Think Friday practice be fine for them. They had small advantage after their Barcelona test, and was upto all other teams to catch up and understand tyres. Their banned from the test, in my eyes thats banned from the data aswell.

[ManFromMilan]

...or waxing his legs.

.....because Massa's already waxes right?

[Suzie]

.....because Massa's already waxes right?

He prefers to remain au naturale, I think.

Wait - what was this thread about again?

[radosav]

Well it's a bit strange (not only for us) that we are complaining all the time about more test time and when an opportunity is given all teams react a bit numb i would say!!!
I expected the top teams to run with both race drivers full time to exploit every second in track!!!!
But ,as told before, they know better so i only hope that we take the bast out of this test!!!

with race drivers you couldn't test anything. i hear Lotus couldn't test their pasive DRD even they have used it in the race, because FIA thinks it is still in development phase.

[Massimo181]

I will be there on Thursday, only £15 a ticket, and managed to get a B&B 12 miles away for £19
Had a few days spare and thought...why not

That is good news we all expect some good reports and lots of on track info then please!!!

[Alonsomaniac]

he said he would gladly go if call came. apparently it didn't

Or maybe he should have charged the batteries of his phone......?

[Giallo 550]

...or waxing his legs.

He has given everything he has got including his leg hair.

[Fer138]

He has given everything he has got including his leg hair.

OIC, that's the secret to Fernando's speed! Helps with aero and stuff, i guess....Hmmm, maybe therein lies the cause of the mysterious loss of race pace in the last two races, the big moustache and beard!

To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed that Fernando won't be doing the testing cos it's always nice to see him in action on the track, especially since we are in the middle of a very looong three week break. Oh well, he did tweet in reply to someone asking that he will be doing important stimulation work, so maybe the plan is for one driver to be on track and one to be back in maranello doing simulation for correlation purpose. Let's hope everything turns out well for our team.

Oh, and off with the beard and 'tache pls!

[mirafiori]

Just read that Merc will receive Pirelli tyre data from the test.

If this is true then it is very disappointing news, Mercedes are banned from the test, then that means banned from the data. Mercedes were more than happy to do a test in secret and keep all the data to themselves, and gain an advantage over the rest of the teams, now it is our turn.

[Schumyboy83]

Anyone going tomorrow (Thursday), looks worth it for the money,

[impactX]

Wonder if they did this to compare the performance between Massa and Rigon.

[Greig]

Wonder if they did this to compare the performance between Massa and Rigon.

No

[Jose Lorca]

From Sky Sports:

Another controlled aero-run for Rigon in the Ferrari down the old pitstraight here. The Italian has completed ten laps so far but none in a faster time than two minutes ten seconds, suggesting there's plenty of calibration work going on with that Ferrari F138.

Indeed, he's now headed straight back into the garage. The F138 continues to sport a periscope-style measuring device atop the airbox.

Latest timesheet @10.32am
1. Da Costa, Red Bull, 1:35.474, 19 laps;
2. Calado, Force India, 1:25.473, 12 laps;
3. Cecotto, Toro Rosso, 1:36.267, 14 laps;
4. Rossi, Caterham, 1:37.438, 17 laps;
5. Magnussen, McLaren, 1:38.230, 15 laps;
6. Juncadella, Williams, 1:49.365;
7. Rigon, Ferrari, 2:17.081;
8. Frijns, Sauber, No Time;
9; Prost, Lotus, No Time;
10. Elinas, Marussia, No Time.

[varun]

where to get the live timing guys and the commentary?
I don't think autosport is have the YDT live,,,,
any other links?

[Jose Lorca]

Live timing here: http://www.f1talks.pl/live-timming-testy/



From Sky again:

Ferrari have as yet clearly not been focusing on performance runs, with Rigon completing numerous in and out laps, rather than successive laps of a normal stint. Given their performance in recent races, it's a big test for the Scuderia and they were certainly focusing on the front of the car early on, with a nose change after a couple of laps.

Latest timesheet @11.14am
1. Calado, Force India, 1:33.986, 21 laps;
2. Da Costa, Red Bull, 1:34.474, 20 laps;
3. Cecotto, Toro Rosso, 1:36.226, 23 laps;
4. Frijns, Sauber, 1:36.549, 18 laps;
5. Rossi, Caterham, 1:37.242, 22 laps;
6. Magnussen, McLaren, 1:38.230, 25 laps;
7. Elinas, Marussia, 1:40.310, 16 laps;
8. Prost, Lotus, 1:42.938 laps;
9. Juncadella, Williams, 1:49.365 3 laps;
10. Rigon, Ferrari, 2:09.553, 18 laps.