Driver line-up for Barcelona test confirmed

2011 F1 testing

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All bar one of the 12 teams participating in the four-day test at Barcelona have confirmed their driver schedules.

It remains to be seen who will be testing for HRT.

The Spanish team missed the previous test at Jerez and instead ran a car at a filming day for Pirelli at Monza.

Narain Karthikeyan is the only driver who is confirmed to be driving for the team this year.

The four-day test begins tomorrow. Here are the drivers who have been confirmed so far and when they will be driving:

TeamFriday 18thSaturday 19thSunday 20thMonday 21st
Red BullSebastian VettelSebastian VettelMark WebberMark Webber
McLarenJenson ButtonJenson ButtonLewis HamiltonLewis Hamilton
FerrariFernando AlonsoFernando AlonsoFelipe MassaFelipe Massa
MercedesMichael SchumacherNico RosbergNico RosbergMichael Schumacher
RenaultNick Heidfeld / Vitaly PetrovNick HeidfeldVitaly PetrovNick Heidfeld
WilliamsRubens BarrichelloRubens BarrichelloPastor MaldonadoPastor Maldonado
Force IndiaPaul di RestaPaul di RestaAdrian SutilAdrian Sutil
SauberKamui KobayashiKamui KobayashiSergio PerezSergio Perez
Toro RossoJaime AlguersuariJaime AlguersuariDaniel Ricciardo / Sebastien BuemiSebastien Buemi
LotusHeikki KovalainenHeikki KovalainenJarno TrulliJarno Trulli
HRTTBCTBCTBCTBC
VirginJerome d’AmbrosioTimo GlockTimo GlockJerome d’Ambrosio

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    38 comments on “Driver line-up for Barcelona test confirmed”

    1. Calum
      17th February 2011, 16:23

      Hopefully Mclaren have sent enough spares to Barcelona! ;)

      I want to see the new car racking up the miles!!

      1. juana
        17th February 2011, 21:03

        hopefully it rains so that they cantest the tires for rain

    2. Abhijeet MS
      17th February 2011, 16:23

      I don’t know why mercedes always opt for different pattern in driver line up in tests compare to all other teams. It has been the pattern from 2010 testings. Idea any one what advantages or disadvantages cause of this?

      1. OEL
        17th February 2011, 19:44

        Feedback from both drivers after 2 days rather than 3?

        1. Icemangrins
          17th February 2011, 20:51

          feedback from Michael on Day 1 …..that’s nice !!

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      BasCB (@bascb)
      17th February 2011, 16:29

      Ned Flanders picked up the suggestion, that Zsolt Baumgartner (remember him) is seriously considered for the second HRT seat (see forum for more on that).

      Kolles is always in for a supprise driver announcement, but this is getting a bit over the top I think.

      I hope we will get some more clues or at least wild guesses where the McLarens exhausts are and at least a few clues to what everyone is doing.

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        Kodongo (@kodongo)
        17th February 2011, 16:47

        Zsolt Baumgartner to drive for HRT? Well it fits in with their driver strategy and their acronym: Has-beens Replacing Talent.

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          US_Peter (@us_peter)
          17th February 2011, 20:04

          You should add that to the HRT acronym thread on the forum.

        2. AG
          18th February 2011, 7:33

          Why can’t they pick someone with a simple name that is easy to pronounce.

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            jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
            18th February 2011, 7:58

            They did last year, unfortunately neither driver fitted the job description of providing millions of dollars to the team, they were both too focused on “racing” and being “actual drivers” whatever that means.

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        Todfod (@todfod)
        17th February 2011, 17:28

        I heard about the rumour as well, and it is absolutely shocking. Well.. whatever their decision is, I hope they make it soon, as I’m sick of the TBC sign next to their names on every schedule. HRT remind me of the kids who came late to school and never had their homework done, and needless to say, were constantly flunking out.

      3. Daffid
        17th February 2011, 18:47

        Well, he knows the tracks and would be driving at about the same speed as usual… ;p

        1. snowman
          17th February 2011, 20:11

          Think it’s more like never has beens replacing talent though can’t really get the HRT in that one so good. Ya Todford, needless to say they were the same kids who dropped out of school early so maybe HRT will do that too. Can’t see them hanging around if start not qualifying inside 107%

    4. DANK
      17th February 2011, 16:37

      Ferrari seems to rack up the most miles in these test sessions

      In fact, the difference with other teams seem quite significant to me.

      Not only that, Ferrari have already had two ‘promotional’ sessions to test their cars.

      Why don’t other teams take full advantage of the time given to them?

      Surely Red Bull, who had the most reliability issues among the top teams, should rack up miles as much as they can?

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      Rob G (@rob-g)
      17th February 2011, 17:00

      I do wish the FIA would at least force the teams to some kind of schedule so people could make some form of rough speculation about the tests, rather than wild guesses that Williams will win the WCC this year, or stuff along those lines.

      1. James
        17th February 2011, 20:08

        What a ridiculous idea. Where’s the excitment in that? It’s like when teams had publish their car weights after Q1 back in 2009. We knew what sort of fuel the cars had and when they would pit, removing a level of excitment for the racing the following day.

        It’s free testing, and the teams are free to run which ever programs they need to do. Remember that all teams are at

    6. Profile Photo

      Ben Needham (@ben-n)
      17th February 2011, 17:07

      Interesting to see that of Buemi and Alguersuari, it is Buemi that loses half a day to Ricciardo… or am I reading too much into it?

      Heidfeld gets more time…

      I’m worried about HRT – they really should’ve confirmed a second driver by this test.

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        sam3110 (@sam3110)
        17th February 2011, 17:12

        Interesting to see that of Buemi and Alguersuari, it is Buemi that loses half a day to Ricciardo… or am I reading too much into it?

        ———————————–

        I actually read it as Buemi doesn’t need as much time in the car, and I reckon he might make the step up to RBR in the future, depends on how much they value their own young driver program

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          Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
          17th February 2011, 17:19

          Off the top of my head, didn’t Alguersuari and Ricciardo share a day at Jerez?

          1. Doug
            17th February 2011, 18:55

            Yup, the 10th of Feb, the 1st day of the Jerez test, had Ricciardo in the car in the morning and Alguersuari in the afternoon.

            Seems like the teams going to great lengths to give their drivers equal testing…Mclaren put their test driver in for a whole day at Valencia, seeing as its an odd number of days long (3 days), partly so Lewis and Jenson could have equal time in the car, I suspect.

            This despite the fact that they were still using the MP4-25 at Valencia =P

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            S.J.M (@sjm)
            17th February 2011, 19:41

            thats correct Keith. So makes sense that Buemi looses half a day this time round.

        2. Ben
          18th February 2011, 0:09

          ha, the guy who was arguably the most disappointing driver of last year steping up to the top team? No way Jose. Ricciardo will get to RBR long before Buemi will.

      2. James
        17th February 2011, 20:10

        HRT didnt confirm Chandok until days before the first practice session of the Bahrain weekend last year…

        1. Icemangrins
          17th February 2011, 21:08

          I guess they did… he was part of the car launch.

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      AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
      17th February 2011, 17:40

      With a livery as nice as the HRT’s they needn’t bother with petty testing.

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        Todfod (@todfod)
        17th February 2011, 17:57

        Hahahaha! Well… the slower they go, the more clearly we can see the advertisements on the side of the car, front wing and rear wing. So it looks like HRT has a good plan.

        1. Nick F
          17th February 2011, 19:38

          A good plan up to the point where they fail to qualify because of the 107% rule.

          :-)

      2. Calum
        17th February 2011, 18:18

        Quality! :D

    8. The New Pope
      17th February 2011, 18:04

      The other driver for HRT is probably Milka Duno.

      1. Dipak T
        18th February 2011, 10:23

        Dont even joke about that!

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      Chippie (@chippie)
      17th February 2011, 19:54

      Very worrying for HRT that they’re this far into testing and they still only have one driver. It would be awful if they had their first run in Bahrain again.

      1. Dianna
        17th February 2011, 20:14

        Looks like Rosberg didn’t fancy having the 2 outer days again :)

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        Rocky (@rocky)
        17th February 2011, 23:16

        And some how beat out Virgin. At least according to the stats.

    10. Hoshi
      17th February 2011, 20:46

      Looks like Narain karthikeyan will test for HRT on all 4 days..the new guy coming in to this team will be at a severe handicap..

      http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/252809/barcelona-testing-the-line-up/

      but i dont expect much from YAMAMOTO anyways..

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      sw6569 (@sw6569)
      17th February 2011, 21:55

      Are HRT running the old car still?

    12. marc connell
      17th February 2011, 22:05

      id quite happily drive for HRT for free :) :) :) :) :) :) :) aslong as they pay my travel/food costs.

      1. Ben
        18th February 2011, 0:11

        just a pity you’re competing with guys who are paying HRT to drive then.

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      manatcna (@manatcna)
      18th February 2011, 2:30

      Is it just me, or are other people thinking HRT are in deep doo-doo?

    Comments are closed.