The third driver: Anthony Davidson
It would be easy to describe the ‘third driver’ as the bridesmaid of Formula One. They spend hundreds of hours each year in the cockpit, completing thousands of laps and fine tuning every aspect of the car’s design. They are as physically fit, quick
The Honda Racing F1 Team’s third driver, Anthony Davidson, admits the role has its frustrations. “Of course I’d like to race, what driver wouldn’t?” he says. “But I’m a team player and I enjoy what I do. I could be racing in any other series anywhere else in the world, but nothing can compare to Formula One. I’m inspired by the technology and I love working with Honda’s engineers.”
Davidson has been an integral part of Honda’s grand prix family since he signed as a test driver for the B•A•R Honda team in 2000. He was just twenty at the time but he’d already won the prestigious Formula Ford Festival and been named McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year. Over the past six years, Davidson has matured with the team.
“The way the team operates and communicates today is light years ahead of how it was when I first joined,” he says. “It’s such a slick outfit and some of the detailing on the car is just magic. Honda’s input has made a tremendous difference – they’re really going for it. After the final race of last year, I stayed in Japan for a week to visit the R&D centre at Tochigi and the Honda museum. The heritage is huge and the passion for racing is incredible. That’s part of the reason why I wanted to stay with the team.”
In the last few years, the position of the third driver has become increasingly important. A quick, technically aware and experienced test driver is now a critical part of a top team’s armoury. “The data Anthony provides is invaluable,” says the Honda Racing F1 Team’s Sporting Director, Gil de Ferran. “He’s arguably the best test driver in the world and someone we hold in the highest regard.”
This season, Davidson will be driving a third car in Friday practice sessions. He will evaluate tyre compounds, assess the performance of the RA106 under different fuel loads and provide crucial data that will be used throughout the weekend. It’s a role Davidson performed brilliantly in 2004 and he’s relishing the fresh opportunity.
“The Friday running is good fun,” he says. “It’s like the cherry on top of the cake. Everyone in the paddock and around the world can see how good you are. It’s difficult to assess a driver’s ability in normal testing because there are too many variables, such as tyre choice and fuel levels. But on a Friday of a grand prix, you can see who’s quick and who isn’t. It shows the depth of talent in Formula One.”
At the first grand prix of the year in Bahrain, Davidson duly topped the Friday timesheets and he repeated the feat seven days later at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. “I was happy and the team was chuffed too,” he recalls. “It helped us get the results in the races.”
It was a reaffirmation, if one were needed, of the young Brit’s natural speed. “At the end of the day, this job allows me to pitch myself against the best drivers in the world and there are days when I’m genuinely faster than them. That gives me a tremendous buzz and that’s why the team wanted to keep me. They know I have the speed.”
The signing of Rubens Barrichello for the 2006 season was a mixed blessing for Davidson. While he was understandably disappointed not to graduate to a race drive, he believes he has much to learn from the experienced Brazilian.
“At first it felt strange to have a new member of the ‘family’, but the relationship’s improving all the time. You’ve got to know who to sponge information off. Rubens has worked with the most successful driver of the modern era [Michael Schumacher] and he brings a huge amount of knowledge and experience to the team.”
Should any problem befall either Barrichello or team-mate Jenson Button, Davidson must be ready to step into the cockpit at a moment’s notice. At last season’s Malaysian Grand Prix, for example, he was asked to replace Takuma Sato, who had developed a severe dose of flu.
“I was drafted in on the Saturday morning,” he remembers. “There wasn’t really enough time to fine tune the car but I was still only 4/10 sec slower than Jenson in second qualifying.” Sadly, his engine failed after just two laps and he was denied the chance to show his true ability. “For the car only to last a couple of laps was a bitter blow, but even those two laps were mega.”
The diminutive Brit, who’s just 1.65m tall, could easily be described as Formula One’s biggest fan. “You just look around and think, ‘what else is there?’ You get spoilt driving these cars. If you drive anything else, you feel like you’ve jumped out of a supercar and into an old Mini. Every time I drive a car I want to make it better, and in Formula One you can. The technology is just endless. I’m like a test pilot in a fighter jet.”
While some might be tempted to feel a tinge of sympathy for the bridesmaid, Davidson admits that being paid to drive Honda’s grand prix car isn’t such a hardship. “Maybe only six or seven teams on the grid pay their drivers,” he says. “There are so many fantastic drivers in the world who haven’t had the opportunities I have.”
Being a third driver also has its advantages. “Unlike Jenson or Rubens, I’m not recognised in the street. I can still have a private life and get away from it all. This year, I’ve had a proper winter break and been able to come back completely refreshed.”
Davidson reckons his motivation is higher than ever. “I can’t quite put my finger on it but I feel extra motivated this year,” he says. “I’ve worked harder in the gym than ever before and spent even more time with the engineers. I have a good feeling about 2006.”
This summer he’ll marry his long term girlfriend, Carrie Bond. It will be another stepping stone in Davidson’s transition from boy racer to experienced, F1 sophisticate. “I’m now one of the most experienced drivers in the paddock,” he concludes, “but I’m still young and I’m still a coming man. Honda is in Formula One to win, and so am I.”
