Valsecchi replaces Raikkonen for penultimate test day

2013 F1 season

March 2, 2013 at 7:53 am by
32 comments

Davide Valsecchi, Lotus, 2013Lotus’s third driver Davide Valsecchi will drive for the team in today’s test at the Circuit de Catalunya, the team has confirmed.

Kimi Raikkonen was scheduled to drive the car today. Up until yesterday evening Raikkonen was expected to be driving the car but the team have indicated this morning he is unwell.

Valsecchi drove for the team in the Young Drivers’ Test at Abu Dhabi last year and joined them as a test driver this year.

Romain Grosjean, who drove the car on Thursday and Friday, said he yesterday he would not be at the track on Saturday and Sunday.

“For sure I would have preferred to have one day with sun and more higher temperatures,” he said.

This article will be updated.

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32 comments on Valsecchi replaces Raikkonen for penultimate test day

  1. Avatar Image

    wsrgo (@wsrgo) said on 2nd March 2013, 7:57

    Ice cream break? Or toilet(****) break???

    Reply
  2. Avatar Image

    sandy (@sandy) said on 2nd March 2013, 7:59

    It would have made a lot more sense if grosjean was given driving duties instead of valsecchi. Or has he already left barcelona?

    Reply
  3. Avatar Image

    wsrgo (@wsrgo) said on 2nd March 2013, 7:59

    *Valsecchi

    Reply
  4. Avatar Image

    verstappen (@verstappen) said on 2nd March 2013, 8:13

    There’s a mean cold going over Europe: in germany they couldn’t keep the roads free from snow in one town, because everybody was ill.
    And I and my family are ill for more than a week now.
    If he’s got the same, I wish him the best. Well not only if it’s the same but I just can relate to that.

    Reply
  5. Avatar Image

    AceofSpades (@aceofspades) said on 2nd March 2013, 8:43

    Here’s hoping he recovers quickly and gets some mileage tomorrow.

    Reply
  6. Avatar Image

    codesurge (@codesurge) said on 2nd March 2013, 8:45

    Autosport is also reporting that Grosjean has been asked to turn around and head back to the track, with Lotus hoping that he’ll make it back for the afternoon’s testing.

    Reply
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      Bullfrog (@bullfrog) said on 2nd March 2013, 10:29

      Hope he makes the U-turn safely…

      Has Valsecchi been hanging around all week, in case something like this happens? Are any other off-duty drivers about? Any sign of Button today – I thought there was a JB quote yesterday that he’d stick around and see how Perez got on.

      Reply

  7. Candice said on 2nd March 2013, 8:51

    ridiculous…….he had every possible issues on his testing slot so far…

    god bless him on Melbourne after setting the least mileage among other drivers on the grid so far.

    Reply
  8. Avatar Image

    Beto (@chebeto0) said on 2nd March 2013, 8:54

    Hungover? haha just kidding.

    Reply
  9. Avatar Image

    porridge90210 (@porridge90210) said on 2nd March 2013, 11:06

    dodgy pint.

    Reply
  10. Avatar Image

    Jeff1s (@jeff1s) said on 2nd March 2013, 11:30

    Valssechi or Valsecchi?

    Reply
  11. Avatar Image

    Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 2nd March 2013, 12:16

    I guess Raikkonen’s sponsors didn’t pay the team as agreed …

    Reply
  12. Avatar Image

    William Brierty (@william-brierty) said on 2nd March 2013, 13:06

    Bloody good news. It’s nice to hear that the reserve role is not merely ceremonial. And Valsecchi deserves it. I was convinced that after an excellent championship winning GP2 season, a very strong test in Abu Dhabi, he’d land a seat, possibly at Caterham next to Kovalainen. The nieve F1 fan in me saw the recapture of the 10th place as further evidence, because surely Caterham wouldn’t have so cash-strapped and could have afforded two non-paying drivers. How wrong was I. Real shame, because Valsecchi’s intelligence behind the wheel would have really suited the “Pirelli-era”. In GP2 he was excellent at looking after his tyres, was very consistent and also had a sharp turn of speed. Let’s hope that Romain has a few more crashes this year and we get a safer, more evaluative driver on the 2014 grid. It takes more than speed Romain…

    Reply
  13. Avatar Image

    Jem (@osella) said on 2nd March 2013, 14:19

    Nice use of ‘for sure’ so early in the season (Grosjean); and at the front of the only sentence in the quote, so that’s like pole position. Not as many points as a sentence consisting entirely of ‘for sure’, though. Keith, can we keep a ‘for sure’ count, or does the technology simply not exist for such a thing?

    Reply
    • Avatar Image

      Michael Brown (@lite992) said on 2nd March 2013, 15:10

      I’m taking a data course, so I could determine how many For Sures were said, the percentage of For Sures, and the probability of him saying For Sure in the future.

      It will be tedious, but worth the laugh.

      Reply
    • Avatar Image

      Bullfrog (@bullfrog) said on 2nd March 2013, 22:04

      It would be fitting if Sure (Lotus’s fragrant sponsor) could support Felipe Massa as well. Then they could put their logo under the number 4 on his car…

      Reply
  14. Avatar Image

    Mike the bike Schumacher (@mike-the-bike-schumacher) said on 2nd March 2013, 17:00

    Somebody had a few too many vodkas last night………

    Reply
  15. Avatar Image

    BasCB (@bascb) said on 2nd March 2013, 17:25

    So in the end Grosjean made it back for the afternoon. And I guess we saw what a reserve driver can be good for to have around. Good job Valsecchi to be there and get his first milage in the Lotus too.

    Reply

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