Renault F1 Team continues young driver test in Jerez
December 2, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Ho-Pin Tung spent the morning in the car as he sampled the R29 for the first time. The 26-year-old covered a total of 67 laps during a busy morning as he continued to evaluate new parts for the team ahead of the 2010 season.
In the afternoon Lucas Di Grassi took over the cockpit of the R29 and went on to complete a further 54 laps.
Ho-Pin Tung: “This was my first proper test in an F1 car and it was a great experience. To begin with I concentrated on finding a reasonable set-up and then got down to working through the programme with the engineers as we tested some parts for the 2010 car. The morning went by so quickly, but it was good to cover 67 laps and the track really improved throughout the morning. What impressed me most was the speed you can carry through the corners and the braking performance of these cars, which takes some getting used to. I learnt a lot today and really enjoyed working with the whole team. I will stay here tomorrow so that I can sit in on all the debriefs and continue learning.”
Lucas Di Grassi: “It was a productive day and good for me to get back in a current F1 car for the first time in almost a year. It felt quite different to drive this car with slicks but I quickly got used to it and the systems on the car. Our programme was focussed on looking ahead to 2010 so we were running with high fuel loads and doing quite long runs. The track conditions were not too bad, but I think it will be even better tomorrow so we should be able to complete some more important work.”
Alan Permane, Chief Race Engineer: “We ran Ho-Pin for the first half of the day, starting off on scrubbed tyres before giving him a couple of new sets later in the morning. I was impressed with Ho-Pin as he settled into the car very quickly and worked well with the team. His driving style is quite well suited to an F1 car as he used the tyres well, had a good feel for the car and gave us precise feedback. The afternoon was mainly about getting Lucas comfortable in the car ahead of his full day tomorrow as this was his first time in the R29. Overall, we managed to complete our objectives for the day and we’re well prepared for another productive day tomorrow.”
27-Nov-09: Force India Confirm Sutil and Liuzzi for 2010
November 27, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Daily F1 News
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This is F1 Minute for the 27th November 2009.
Lots of news today, starting with the fact that Force India have confirmed Liuzzi and Sutil for 2010. The team will be running the same drivers they finished this season with in an attempt to keep some consistency and continue their upward trend. Mallya says: “I am sure we have one of the most dynamic line-ups on the grid and I hope this will stand us in good stead in what we all hope will be a transitional year for the team.”
Elsewhere, BMW have confirmed they will sell the team back to original owner Peter Sauber, who will buy on condition that they have a grid slot for 2010. This is by no means an easy feat as they don’t at the moment, but it is a piece of good news for the team after the Qadbak investment fell through.
Finally, Renault have announced their young drivers for next week’s test in the shape of Renault 3.5 champ Bertrand Baguette, test driver Lucas di Grassi and China’s Ho-Pin Tung.
That’s all for now, have a fabulous weekend, and I’ll be back on Monday with another F1 Minute.
Renault F1 Team Gets Set for Young Driver Test in Jerez
November 27, 2009 by Mr. C
Filed under Press Releases
The Renault F1 Team is gearing up for the young driver test which will take place from the 1st to the 3rd of December in Jerez, Spain. Bertrand Baguette, Ho-Pin Tung and Lucas Di Grassi will share driving duties across the three days.
The provisional schedule will see 23-year-old Belgian driver, Bertrand Baguette, get behind the wheel of the R29 on Tuesday 1st of December as his prize for winning the World Series by Renault 3.5 category. This will be Bertrand’s first chance to sample F1 power and an opportunity to complete representative mileage as the team evaluates up and coming young drivers.
The team will also evaluate young Chinese prospect, Ho-Pin Tung. Having previously tested for Williams, the 26-year-old will relish the chance to get reacquainted with an F1 car and will draw upon his recent experience in GP2, A1GP and the Superleague Formula.
The team’s third driver, Lucas Di Grassi, will also have the chance to complete further F1 mileage as he drives the R29 for the first time.
Speaking ahead of the test, Team Principal Bob Bell commented: “Testing is so restricted nowadays, but this young driver test is the perfect opportunity for us to assess rising stars such as Bertrand, Ho-Pin and Lucas. All these drivers have shown great promise and we look forward to seeing what they are capable of as we complete our test programme for the year.”
