Ricciardo and Red Bull happy with two-day test
As Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber flew back to the UK factory from Austria to celebrate the team’s double World Championship, Red Bull Racing continued with its 2011 preparations, as it took part in the Young Driver Test at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu 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 a Formula One car. The team used the opportunity to test some mechanical development parts for 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 young driver test. Speaking in Abu Dhabi, the runner-up of this year’s Formula Renault 3.5 series said: “It was cool to do this test and great to get so close to the big boys times from the weekend! It’s very rare to get a perfect car, but I have to say this is very close. It’s a pleasure to drive it, you brake and you turn and the car does everything as you imagine it would. I think I got most of my nerves out of the way before last year’s test, so I was more relaxed this time, although you are always a little nervous getting into the car on day one. We did more long runs today (day two), which went well – it’s been a great two days and it would be fantastic 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 car over the last two days and made no mistakes, we’re very happy with him. We completed our programme and got though everything as planned, despite losing some track time this afternoon 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, which will see him driving an RB6 again on the circuit where he claimed his historic title, just five days previously.
