07/07/2014
NEWS STORY
Ferrari has confirmed that Kimi Raikkonen will skip this week's two-day test at Silverstone, while Fernando Alonso will work at the team's Maranello HQ.
According to the Italian team, the Finn, whose impact with Silverstone barriers was measured at 47G, still has pain and some bruising in his left ankle and knee.
Consequently the team has decided to rest the Finn so that he can be fully fit for the German Grand Prix on 20th July at Hockenheim.
As a result the driver line-up for the Silverstone test has been changed: tomorrow for the first day, Pedro de la Rosa will be at the wheel of the F14 T and on Wednesday, Jules Bianchi will stand in for Raikkonen. The Frenchman, who drives for Marussia, has been on the books at the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2010.
De la Rosa finally gets to drive the F14 T for real, having done many kilometres in its virtual cockpit on the simulator, where he shares the work with Davide Rigon and Andrea Bertolini. The Spaniard will therefore be able to make a comparison and give the engineers some useful feedback. During his day on track, a comparative test will take place at the same time back in Maranello and in a reverse of the usual situation, it will be De la Rosa on track and countryman Alonso in the simulator.
Bianchi, back at the wheel of a Ferrari for the first time since the Pirelli tyre test in December 2013, will have his first run in the F14 T, the Frenchman securing his and Marussia's first ever points when he finished ninth in Monaco.