15/12/2020
NEWS STORY
Two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso set the pace at today's Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi. The Spaniard was the quickest of 15 drivers on duty representing 8 teams, with McLaren and Racing Point not attending.
It was a productive day on both sides of the Renault garage - Alonso accumulating 105 laps and posting the fastest time as he edges closer to his Formula 1 return with the French team in 2021, and Guanyu Zhou completing 98 laps, after recovering from a spin at Turn 19, which partially delayed his morning's programme.
The purpose of the day's test was to enable both drivers to grow accustomed to modern F1 machinery across low fuel qualifying simulations and high fuel race runs.
Alonso and Zhou tested the two-year old R.S.18 at the same venue a couple of weeks ago on demo tyres, while for today's running, they sampled Pirelli's C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft) compounds.
"It was good and very nice to be back in the car especially with the race team," said the Spaniard. "I've been testing the 2018 car in preparation but this one felt a bit more serious and it ignited a little bit the competitive spirit.
"It was great to feel the modern cars and experience what they can do," he continued. "I was watching the team's progress at the weekend closely and it was nice to experience what I learnt from the outside and then inside the cockpit today.
"We signed off lots of basic things we did in preparation at the factory like seat fitting, pedal position and so on, which is beneficial with only one and a half days of winter testing next year. We ticked boxes today and we go into Christmas and New Year with good spirit and everyone motivated in the team."
"It was a pretty decent day," added Zhou. "I got used to the car straight away, we did a lot of laps including race runs and performance runs, which were very interesting.
"Our pace was reasonably stable, so I was happy with that, especially this morning's performance run. There were a couple of technical things here and there, but it is testing, we still did a lot of laps, and that is the main purpose.
"I wasn't really looking for lap time and during the last two sessions, together with the team, we found a good balance on the car in comparison to the evening sessions at the weekend, so that's positive learning for the team. Overall, I'm really happy with my first time driving the 2020 car, so thanks to Renault for the opportunity."
Stoffel Vandoorne, Mercedes 'reserve driver', and Nyck de Vries, who both race in Formula E for the Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team, were in action for the Brackley outfit. From Vandoorne it was his first outing in the W11 and de Vries' first taste of F1 machinery.
In the morning session, Vandoorne set the pace, with de Vries in third. In the afternoon, both drivers improved their times, with de Vries moving up to second overall and Vandoorne ending the day third on the timesheets.
Today's programme included giving the drivers experience on single lap and long runs, set-up changes to understand the effects they have on car balance and understanding the behaviour of the 2020 Pirelli tyres. The team also completed simulator comparisons - as both drivers work in the team's simulator facility.
"I had a lot of fun out there today in the W11," said Vandoorne. "I managed to complete plenty of laps with both some short and longer runs. It was a pretty smooth day and I was quickest in the morning session as well. I want to say a massive thank you to the team for giving me this opportunity, because the chance to drive a Championship-winning F1 car doesn't come around very often and is very unique. It was a real privilege to drive W11 and a really great day. I had to cut the afternoon a little short because I had to leave to the airport for a PR commitment, but nonetheless I'm really happy with the day we've had in the car and the opportunity to end the year driving W11.
"Today was very special, making my Formula One debut," added de Vries. "What an incredible car, it's from a different planet really. You can brake so late and carry so much speed through the corners. It was a real pleasure to drive. I'm really pleased with the progression I made throughout the day and the work we completed. I was quite surprised with how quickly I felt comfortable in the car and the team was very supportive, doing everything they could to make me feel as comfortable as possible. A massive thanks to Mercedes for this very unique and special opportunity because it was a great day in the car."
Today was the last time we'll see the W11 on track for a few years," said Andrew Shovlin, "so it was nice to give it one last run with Nyck and Stoffel, our Formula E drivers.
"They both did a great job. Stoffel has driven some of our previous cars over the last few years, but this was his first time driving the W11, so it was interesting to get his feedback. Unfortunately, Stoffel had to leave early to make a commitment with the Formula E team and missed the cooler conditions at the end of the day, but we were able to get through a full programme. For Nyck, it was his first day in an F1 car and he's impressed us with how quickly he was up to speed and his pace on low and high fuel. Both Stoffel and Nyck contribute to our F1 programme with simulator work so today has been a really useful opportunity to let them try the real thing, and a nice way for us to close off the 2020 season."
At Alfa Romeo, Robert Kubica and Callum Ilott completed a total of 182 laps, from morning to late afternoon, finally consigning the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN C39 to a place in its Hinwil collection in the golden light of dusk.
Kubica, on his sixth appearance of the year behind the wheel, and Ilott, whose previous experience with the team dates back to a test in Barcelona last year, completed an issue-free day, concentrating on their run plans and bringing the team's programme to completion on schedule. It was a busy day, but a successful one - a good omen as the team put this campaign into the history books and begins the countdown for 2021.
"It's always good to spend time driving this car," said Kubica, "especially having the opportunity to do a full day of testing. It's crucial to get a good feeling with the car, get into a rhythm, and having from morning to evening today really allowed me to get in this zone and do a good job. Now a long and intense season finally comes to an end: I'd like to thank all the guys and girls at Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN for the work they have put in all year, it's been an incredible job."
"It's been an amazing day, driving an incredible car," added Ilott. "I am thankful to Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and the Ferrari Driver Academy for the opportunity to drive today. We completed 93 laps, some good mileage and a busy day for the team. From my personal point of view, I've really enjoyed it: it took a lot of focus to keep performing at this level, in such a powerful car, but it's been really good and I hope to get more opportunities to drive this car in the future."
"I had more track time today than when I tried a Formula 1 car for the first time in November," sais Yuki Tsunoda, who completed 123 laps and ended the day fifth quickest, "and I must admit I feel a bit tired now at the end of the day. But it was a very enjoyable experience.
"When I last drove in Imola it was a 2018 car, so I was surprised at the increase in power and downforce from the current car. However, the experience from my drive in Imola was definitely a useful starting point for today. There were quite a few aspects that felt new to me and during the session I worked on dealing with these and continuously improving throughout the day. I learned a lot and have made progress with my driving.
"The off-season starts tomorrow, and I have a training programme planned to make sure I am always stronger and fitter, but I will also enjoy some days at home in Japan, to fully recharge batteries."
"First of all, thank you to everyone in Scuderia AlphaTauri for the opportunity I had today to drive an F1 car for the very first time," added Marino Sato. "We completed quite a lot of laps, it's just a shame that I got stuck in bit of traffic for my run on the soft compound. It was looking good until then, but I can't say I could fully give it all I had today. But still, the first day in a Formula 1 car was really enjoyable and a great experience, so I hope to come back to drive this car again soon."
"It was a very successful test," said Franz Tost. "We completed 250 laps with the two cars and it was quite a good lesson for both the drivers. They could experience the preparation which is required for such an event, like the FIA jump test, which they both passed without problems, and they could learn what it means having to work with a lot more engineers than what they were used to.
"During the test we were not allowed to do set up changes, but they could certainly learn the car and compare different tyre compounds as we tested both Primes and Options. Especially here in Abu Dhabi, it's important for the driver to understand how to use the tyres not to overheat them and to get the correct temperature.
"Yuki had already tested an F1 car in Imola back in November, but this time he could drive the current-spec car, and for Marino, it was his first time in F1. Yuki did a great job while giving us very good technical feedback, and his cooperation with the engineers has been really beneficial. Marino also did a solid job, he completed many laps, learning the car and how an F1 team works. If he continues like this I think he has a future in motorsport. Today we had a very fruitful test, a good end to a successful 2020 season.
"I would like to thank all the team members, at the track and in the operation room, in Faenza and Bicester, and last but not least, Honda, for their fantastic support and their very powerful and reliable PU. Everyone has done their part to achieve the best season ever in our history."
Check out our gallery from the test, here.
Red Bull took the opportunity to give its official test and reserve rivers Juri Vips and Sebastien Buemi mileage in the RB16. Between them, the pair completed 178 laps.
"Today was all about bringing our reserve drivers up to speed so that they are familiar with the car's performance," said Guillaume Rocquelin, Head of Race Engineering. "After completing a lot of laps, they can give us better feedback when they work on the simulator - and, of course, they'll be prepared should they have to jump in the car in the future. This is why we work on things like ensuring they know start procedures, how we operate trackside, and what role everyone plays at Grands Prix."
"Seb and Juri pushed, and found the limits, which is good and what we wanted them to do. Now they both have a better understanding of what our car requires, what it really feels like and today was very useful for us all moving forwards."
For Buemi, a Formula E and double World Endurance Champion, this was a day to properly reacquaint himself with a modern Formula One car. "I very much enjoyed being back in the car and getting a proper day of running so that was cool," he said. "It was good to do so many laps and I was happy to be back with the Team trackside. Hopefully we can now have a good debrief from today, see what we learned and take it over to the simulator."
For Vips it was the first chance to drive a hybrid F1 car, having previously only driven the RB8 at a wet Silverstone.
"It's just a shame the test ended really - I had a massive smile on my face the whole day!" he said. "The car definitely lives up to the expectations. I was a little bit worried this morning about how it was going to be physically, especially about the neck, but we got through all of our programme: lots of mileage and I'm just very happy about the experience. Within two or three laps I felt confident in the car - it was very well balanced and it has a ridiculous amount of grip! When am I getting back in the car? I don't know, I need to talk to Helmut and Christian - but if it was up to me, I'd be driving it every day!"
Driving the two SF1000s were Antonio Fuoco and Robert Shwartzman, while Ferrari Driver Academy talents Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott were also on track with Haas F1 Team and Alfa Romeo Racing respectively.
This morning, as the cars took to the track for the final time this year, it was officially confirmed that Callum Ilott will take on the role of Ferrari test driver as from next year. The Englishman has had a brilliant time in Formula 2 this year, finishing as runner-up in the championship with three wins and five pole positions to his name.
For Shwartzman, this was his first appearance in an official Formula 1 test session. Back on 30 September, as part of the FDA's #RoadToF1 programme, the Russian, along with Mick and Callum, drove an SF71H at the Fiorano track. At the wheel of the number 35 car, the 21-year-old from St Petersburg drove out of the pits at 9am on the dot to get the test day started. Robert was not at all flustered at the prospect of making his debut on the Formula 1 stage, completing a first run of 5 laps to get to know the car, before getting stuck in to the day's programme. He completed 129 laps, more than two Grand Prix distances, on the C4 and C5 compound tyres. His best time was a 1.38.157, set in the final hour of the session, when the track surface was at its best, with the car in qualifying trim and running the Soft C5 tyres.
Across the garage from Shwartzman was a former FDA driver, now a driver coach at the Academy, and one of the Scuderia's simulator experts, Antonio Fuoco. The Italian drove an SF1000 bearing the number 32, with the main goal being a comparison between the real car and the virtual one in which he has racked up so many miles over the course of this year. This was Antonio's fourth on-track test with the Scuderia. Previously he has driven at Spielberg in 2015 and at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in 2016 and 2019. He completed 126 laps, the best in 1.37.817, set on the C5 tyres.
"I feel very good, awesome, it's a dream come true!" said Schwarzman. "You know when you are a little kid and you are watching Ferrari winning, and you always dreamed about ‘when is that day going to come when I am going to sit in it and drive this car?' It happened today and it was very nice. I feel like this is just the beginning, this is the point when you understand you just started your job and you need to work hard and improve, so I am happy I finally reached that point where I made that step for my future. It's very nice. It wasn't the easiest day and I am quite exhausted now because I had a lot of new things to deal with, a lot of information and a lot of running!
"The back of my neck is a bit sore, from the heavy braking, but apart from that, I am feeling really well. Steering wise, driving this car is easier than the F2 cars, so no problems there. I did the most laps today and each one of them felt really cool.
"This was a very good day," added Fuoco, "and we managed to get through our programme, completing 126 laps, which is more than two race distances. Along with the team, we gathered a lot of data to analyse which will be useful for next season.
"As a driver that specialises in working in the simulator, it is extremely useful for me to be able to get in the real car from time to time to reacquaint myself with what it feels like being in the cockpit. On top of that, we were able to work specifically on verifying the correlation between our tools in Maranello and the SF1000 on track.
"Finally, I should say that every time I get offered the chance to jump in a Ferrari, I get rather excited. As an Italian, I'm very proud to be part of this family for the past eight years and I thank the team for having chosen me to drive again this time."
Williams had Jack Aitken and Roy Nissany on duty, the pair completing 153 laps in total.
"After a tricky season, it was good to finish with a productive and smooth day," said Dave Robson, the Grove outfit's Head of Vehicle Performance. "Both Jack and Roy have driven the car several times this year, but for both to get a chance to have the car for a full day in the calm environment of a Young Driver Day was very valuable for everyone.
"Conditions can be a little different during the Abu Dhabi day than in the afternoon and evening sessions at the race weekend, but nonetheless, it was good, valuable and representative running. Both drivers did an excellent job, enjoyed themselves and gained some very useful experience, which will help them to make increasingly valuable contributions to the car development programmes. As well as giving an opportunity to our young drivers, it also gives us a chance to rotate some of the engineers and mechanics, which increases our overall experience level and helps us motivate and train people for the next steps in their careers. With the prospect of longer seasons in the years ahead, this additional training is vital."
"It was a really good day, and I had lots of fun," said Aitken, "but I wish we had more tyres to play with! We got through a nice programme, I got plenty of laps and we had no major issues which is always nice. There were a few things that we went into more detail with that we didn't have time to in Bahrain.
"It was nice to go through some of the procedures and really knuckle down in more detail on some things which is a luxury. It was a nice way to end the year and thanks again to Williams for the opportunity."
"It is always nice to jump back in the car and today was amazing," added Nissany. "In contrast to the FP1s, it was a full day with lots of kilometres logged, lots of learning, lots of understanding of the car - a great experience. It was also a challenge in terms of the development, and in terms of understanding a few mechanical changes.
"Overall, I am happy with my performance, and I think the team is as well. It was a great way to end the year. I will take all the conclusions, go deep into the data and spend the winter analysing it all."
At Haas, Mick Schumacher behind the wheel of the VF-20. Having had his first outing with the American squad in FP1 during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Schumacher - who will race full-time for Haas in 2021, recorded 125 laps around the 5.554-kilometer (3.451-mile), 21-turn circuit.
Morning running totalled 53-laps utilizing the C4 tyre throughout as Schumacher built on the 23-laps he accumulated in FP1 last Friday. Working on the balance of the VF-20, with a mixture of low and high fuel runs, Schumacher's fastest lap in the morning was a 1:40.106. The afternoon plan focused on gaining additional mileage with longer runs on the C4 before a switch to the softer C5 compound for comparison runs. The German added another 72 laps to his tally with a fastest lap of 1:39.947.
"I feel pretty good," said the German, "obviously I'm very happy I managed to do so many laps - it's not always a given in testing. We focused on a good amount of laps, and a valuable amount of laps, which was very positive. The key point from today was just to understand the tires a little more - for that, the long runs were very good. I think we achieved that, and I now have a pretty good knowledge of what I need to do although the tires might be a bit different next year.
"I feel very comfortable, I know the team's happy, so that's good. I really was so happy to be in the car and it was so much fun to drive. I'm really looking forward to next year."
"So today was obviously the first full day of Mick being in the car," said the team's Director of Engineering, Ayao Komatsu. "We really focused on him understanding the car, and then adjusting the car balance to suit and to get the best out of Mick. We really didn't focus on one lap performance or anything like that, we simply wanted to get him to understand various things like different fuel loads. We also focused on tire management on high fuel runs. It was really good for Mick to experience long runs, both at high track temperature and towards the end of the day when track temperature was then at its coolest. We ran both C4 and C5 tires on long runs. He was making lots of adjustments by himself and using the tools available to him.
"So, today was a very good day. He completed 125 laps - his fitness was absolutely no problem. He completely understood the program in terms of what we wanted to achieve today. He also did 11 starts from the F2 pitlane, his procedures improved as the day continued - to the point he was at a pretty good level. All-in-all we're very happy. His attitude was excellent, as was his understanding of the program, his understanding of the car and working with the engineers to improve his tire management - it was excellent. We're very happy."
Check out our gallery from the test, here.