ABU DHABI YOUNG DRIVER TESTDAY ONE: /DAY TWO
Driver: Daniel Ricciardo/ Driver: Daniel RicciardoCar: RB6-03 /Car: RB6-03Laps: 83 /Laps: 77Circuit Length: 5.554 km /Circuit Length: 5.554 kmFastest lap: D Ricciardo: 1.39.616 /Fastest lap: D Ricciardo: 1:38.102
As Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber flew back to the UK factory from Austria tocelebrate the team’s double World Championship, Red Bull Racing continued with its2011 preparations, as it took part in the Young Driver Test at the Yas Marina circuit inAbu Dhabi.
Red Bull Junior Team driver Daniel Ricciardo was at the wheel of an RB6 for the two-day test,which is primarily organised as a chance for young drivers to get experience of driving aFormula One car. The team used the opportunity to test some mechanical development partsfor 2011, complete some durability testing and try some different brake materials.
It was the first time 21-year-old Daniel had driven a Formula One car since last year’s youngdriver test. Speaking in Abu Dhabi, the runner-up of this year’s Formula Renault 3.5 seriessaid: “It was cool to do this test and great to get so close to the big boys times from theweekend! It’s very rare to get a perfect car, but I have to say this is very close. It’s a pleasureto drive it, you brake and you turn and the car does everything as you imagine it would. Ithink I got most of my nerves out of the way before last year’s test, so I was more relaxed thistime, although you are always a little nervous getting into the car on day one. We did morelong runs today (day two), which went well – it’s been a great two days and it would befantastic to get the chance to drive in Formula One full-time.”
Head of Race Engineering, Ian Morgan added: “Daniel has done a great job for us in the carover the last two days and made no mistakes, we’re very happy with him. We completed ourprogramme and got though everything as planned, despite losing some track time thisafternoon due to a few Red Flags – although they weren’t anything to do with Daniel!”
The next test is a Pirelli tyre test on Friday 19 November and Saturday 20 November.World Champion Sebastian Vettel will be back in the cockpit for the two-day test, whichwill see him driving an RB6 again on the circuit where he claimed his historic title, just fivedays previously.
