Jules Bianchi drives a Ferrari at Young Driver Test

David Bodapati September 12, 2012

357 2 minutes read

Magny-Cours, 11 Sept 2012: A three day Young Driver Test got underway today at Magny-Cours, to assess potential future
Formula 1 drivers. Frenchman Jules Bianchi was at the wheel for Scuderia Ferrari.
The day’s programme centred mainly on two points: collecting aerodynamic data, with the car
fitted with specific sensors for this task and adapting the car set-up to best suit Jules’ driving
style.

The day’s running finished slightly ahead of schedule because of an electrical problem and up
to that point, Bianchi had done 87 laps, with a best time of 1.18.070.

“Today we tried various aerodynamic components which are not big evolutions for the car, but
things already tried on Fridays at the races and brought here to confirm some of the data” -
said Jules at the end of the day - “It’s the first time I’ve driven this year’s car and it was good
opportunity for me to get some experience of it. I immediately felt comfortable, with a good
pace, but right near the end of the session when I wanted to go for a time, we had a small
electrical problem. Apart from that, it was a completely positive day: I really like driving this
track and it’s characteristics are particularly well suited to testing.”

The Scuderia continues testing tomorrow, with Davide Rigon at the wheel.

Sahara Force India

Luiz Razia enjoyed his first taste of the VJM05 today as Sahara Force India completed day one of the young driver test in Magny-Cours, France.

Day one Stats

Chassis: VJM05-04

Laps: 65 laps

Mileage: 286 km

Fastest lap: 1:18.535

Luiz Razia: “It’s always valuable to spend time in a Formula One car and today has been really useful. It’s given me the chance to get to know the team and get comfortable in the car. The biggest challenge was getting used to all the switches on the steering wheel so that was good experience and I learned about all the car’s systems. I also got to experience KERS for the first time. There were some issues with the car in the morning so I did most of my laps in the afternoon and the track just got faster and faster as the track rubbered in. We made some improvements to the car during my runs in the afternoon and some balance corrections which worked well. I really enjoyed working with the team and hope I get the chance to build on this in the future.”

Jakob Andreasen, Chief Engineer

“It was our first time working with Luiz and he impressed us straight away. He looked very comfortable in the car and was immediately giving good feedback on grip levels and car handling. We had a few technical issues in the morning, which kept us in the garage, but we got out straight after lunch and completed the programme. We tried to give Luiz a feel of what is needed to be a Formula One driver, so the day included some launches and pit stop simulations, and we also got his feedback on set-up items. He handled everything very well, including the KERS and DRS, and did all that we asked of him. The lap times were competitive and he set his best time on the soft tyres towards the end of the day.”