• Home
• /
• F1

Ricciardo tops timesheets in Young Driver Test

The teams were involved in the Young Driver Test on Tuesday and Wednesday. And it was no surprise that the double-title winning RB6 topped the timesheets on both the days though they were challenged by Mercedes GP on Day Two.

Australian rookie Daniel Ricciardo was challenged by Mercedes GP’s Sam Bird in the final session but the 21-year-old hit back with a 1:38.340 in the final hour after Bird had posted a time of 1:39.543s. Ricciardo, who is the 2009 British Formula Three champion and is the reserve driver for Red Bull and Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s sister team, did 63 laps of the 5.555km Yas Marina Circuit. Ricciardo’s best time would have got him pole position in the just concluded Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Newly-crowned World Champion and Red Bull stablemate Sebastian Vettel had seized pole position with a time of 1:39.394 seconds.

Ricciardo had topped the timesheets on Tuesday, with a best time of 1:39.616 seconds in 70 laps. And the time was just 0.222 seconds off Vettel’s pole position time in the Abu Dhabi GP. Ricciardo dominated proceedings on the opening day and in the morning session on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old Briton Bird, who finished fifth in the GP2 Series this season, improved his time to 1:39.220s. He did 73 laps in his W01. Renault’s Jerome d’Ambrosio, the 2007 Formula Master champion and who took part in four Friday F1 sessions with Virgin, put his R30 third on the timesheets. The 24-year-old Belgian had a time of 1:39.615 and he did 70 laps. McLaren’s Gary Paffett was third in his MP4-25 with a best time of 1:39.803s. The McLaren reserve driver did 73 laps. Ferrari’s Jules Bianchi completed the top five. The 21-year-old Frenchman, who is Ferrari’s test driver for 2011, logged a time of 1:40.635 in his F10 and he did 75 laps. Bianchi had posted the second best time in the morning session.

The Young Driver Test will be followed by a two-day Pirelli tyre test on Friday and Saturday. Pirelli will be the official tyre supplier for next season after Bridgestone’s exit from the sport.

Timings:

1. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) RB6 1:38.340 (63 laps)

2. Sam Bird (Mercedes GP) W01 1:39.220 (73 laps)

3. Jerome d’Ambrosio (Renault) R30 1:39.615 (70 laps) 4. Gary Paffett (McLaren) MP4-25 1:39.803 (73 laps) 5. Jules Bianchi (Ferrari) F10 1:40.635 (75 laps)

6. Paul di Resta (Force India) VJM-03 1:40.901 (27 laps) 7. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) FW28 1:40.944 (61 laps) 8. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) STR5 1:40.974 (61 laps) 9. Yelmer Buurman (Force India) VJM-03 1:41.178 (55 laps) 10. Sergio Perez (Sauber) C29 1:41.285 (75 laps) 11. Liuz Razia (Virgin Racing) VR-01 1:43.525 (51 laps) 12. Davide Valsecchi (Hispania) F110 1:43.953 (19 laps) 13. Josef Kral (Hispania) F110 1:44.143 (61 laps) 14. Rodolfo Gonzalez (Lotus F1) T127 1:44.312 (61 laps) 15. Vladimir Arabadzhiev (Lotus F1) T127 1:45.723 (49 laps). Tuesday’s timings: 1. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) RB6 1:39.616 (70 laps) 2. Oliver Turvey (McLaren) MP4-25 1:41.094 (69 laps) 3. Antonio Félix da Costa (Force India) VJM-03 1:41.381 (77 laps) 4. Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber) C29 1:41.834 (63 laps) 5. Mikhail Aleshin (Renault) R30 1:42.073 (58 laps) 6. Dean Stoneman (Williams) FW32 1:42.298 (58 laps) 7. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) STR5 1:42.489 (83 laps) 8. Paul di Resta (Force India) VJM-03 1:42.736 (28 laps) 9. Sam Bird (Mercedes) GP W01 1:43.201 (43 laps) 10. Jules Bianchi (Ferrari) F10 1:43.894 (52 laps) 11. Pastor Maldonado (Hispania) F110 1:43.940 (94 laps) 12. Jerome d’Ambrosio (Virgin) VR-01 1:44.319 (27 laps) .