Valsecchi tops time charts: Young driver test

Yas Island (Abu Dhabi), 8 Nov 2012: The final day of the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi saw reigning GP2 Series champion Davide Valsecchi top the time sheets in the race winning E20. Davide completed a total of 86 laps, running a comprehensive testing programme and showcasing his talent by quickly getting up to speed with the car and team.

Thursday is the end of 3-the Young Driver Test, with Lotus F1 Team having completed a total of 213 laps and gaining valuable data as the focus now turns towards the forthcoming United States Grand Prix next weekend.

Programme Summary:

• Morning Session: Aerodynamic testing and DDRS iterations.
• Afternoon Session: Front Drum testing and tyre assessment Programme.
• Total number of laps: 86
• Best lap time: 1:42:677
• Tyres used: Two sets of hard, two sets of medium and two sets of soft compound tyres.

Davide Valsecchi, E20-01

“It’s been a really good experience for me. I was very pleased with my sessions and followed everything the team asked of me without making any mistakes. I took it very easy in the morning so I could get used to the car and soon became more confident, meaning towards the end I was much better in terms of pace.

“The team listened to my feedback and made the changes I suggested, particularly towards the end of running. I want to say thank you to Lotus F1 Team who have been really good; the engineers and the mechanics have all been brilliant and it has been a great day for me.”

Simon Rennie, Race Engineer

“The final day’s running with Davide has been a good end to our Young Driver Test this year. In the morning we completed additional aerodynamic work and looked at further evaluation of our DDRS, providing us with enough data to make an informed decision at a later stage in Enstone. Before lunch Davide completed performance runs as he became accustomed to the set up and quickly explored the limits of the car. Obviously the step from GP2 to Formula 1 is not enormous, but we were impressed with how quickly he was up to speed by this morning.

“For the afternoon session, we looked at developments of our front drums and then completed a tyre programme which gave Davide the opportunity to try out the various compounds. We ran the hard, medium and soft tyres and he found good improvements in terms of grip with each step in the compounds. All in all it’s been a good day, and Davide did a great job.”

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

The final day of testing at Abu Dhabi continued the trend seen on Tuesday and Wednesday: namely, a series of detailed performance runs to assess the effects of some large, overnight mechanical changes.

Oliver Turvey continued Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ evaluation of a new front wing during the morning’s session, providing the team with some extremely useful feedback and data. In the afternoon, Kevin Magnussen returned to the cockpit following his first run in MP4-27 on Tuesday morning. The Dane concluded his run by running through a series of mechanical balance changes aimed at unlocking tyre performance.

Kevin clocked sufficient mileage this week to be able to apply for an F1 Superlicence.

Following the test’s conclusion, sporting director Sam Michael said:

“This week’s test in Abu Dhabi was extremely useful for the team Gary, Oliver and Kevin all drove with great discipline to enable us to gather a considerable amount of data, collectively racking up more than 1500km.

“In addition, all three days were trouble-free, which is a great testament to the ongoing resolve of our mechanics and engineers, many of whom have been away from home for several weeks, and who travel directly on to the USA for the final two races of the season. They are a credit to our team.

“Gary and Oliver are outstanding team players and continue to deliver strongly for us. In Kevin’s case, his pace, consistency and engineering feedback were all excellent. Given his performance, he certainly didn’t look like a guy who had never turned a wheel in a modern F1 car before the start of this week!”

Test dates        Three days (November 6-8)

Pos      Driver                           Constructor                              Best time          Laps

1          Davide Valsecchi          Lotus                                              1m42.677s                86

2          Kevin Magnussen         Vodafone McLaren Mercedes   1m42.827s                51

3          Esteban Gutierrez          Sauber                                          1m43.093s             80

4          Robin Frijns                  Red Bull Racing                              1m43.233s             53

5          Oliver Turvey               Vodafone McLaren Mercedes     1m43.604s            44

6          Luiz Razia                     Scuderia Toro Rosso                     1m45.286s              68

7          Alexander Rossi            Caterham                                      1m46.485s              86

ends