Rigon to do bulk of test for Ferrari alongside Massa

2013 F1 season

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Davide Rigon will do two-and-a-half days of the Young Drivers’ Test for Ferrari which starts at Silverstone tomorrow.

Rigon, 26, has been part of Ferrari’s junior driver programme since 2011. He was champion of the Italian and European Formula 3000 championships in 2007.

However his progress was interrupted when he broke his leg in a crash during a GP2 race at Istanbul two years ago. He is jointly leading the Blancpain Endurance Series with Kessel Racing team mates Daniel Zampieri and Cesar Ramos, driving a Ferrari 458 Italia.

Felipe Massa will drive the car on Friday morning to test Pirelli’s new tyres. The team said he is “keen to get back on track after his rather short German Grand Prix”, which he retired from on lap four.

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Image © Ferrari/Ercole Colombo

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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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25 comments on “Rigon to do bulk of test for Ferrari alongside Massa”

  1. In the end teams prefer to test new parts than simply tyre testing. A measure actually working.

  2. Rigon, 26, has been part of Ferrari’s junior driver programme since 2011.

    I don’t think that’s right. Ferrari have got only four drivers in the Ferrari Driver Academy: Jules Bianchi, Raffaele Marciello, Antonio Fuoco and Lance Stroll. As far as I’m aware, Rigon is only a Ferrari-endorsed test driver, not unlike Oliver Turvey at McLaren.

    1. Correct. Davide Rigon isn’t, and never has been a member of Ferrari’s young driver program. Jules Bianchi, Raffaele Marciello, Antonio Fuoco and Lance Stroll are in the Ferrari Driver Academy, Rigon is one of Scuderia Ferrari’s plethora of test drivers.

  3. I like Rigon. He drove for Olympiacos in Superleague Formula :P.

    PS: Although it was Guerrieri who got my favourite team’s first victory. Last year he was at the Indy Lights, has anyone heard of him recently?

    1. @sigman1998 Here you are. Hope that helped.

  4. Rigon will be a busy lad. I give it 3 laps before Massa stacks it.

  5. Shreyas Mohanty (@)
    16th July 2013, 17:22

    Why isn’t Alonso testing? Am I missing something here?

    1. not sure either… Maybe this is still politics and arrangements following that test gate? Or does he feel confident? What is sure is that his 2 direct competitors take part to the event.

      1. Shreyas Mohanty (@)
        17th July 2013, 16:07

        @spoutnik Being 34 points behind Vettel, Alonso should be working his ass out helping the team get useful data.

        1. except if ferrari counts on new parts which can only be tried by young drivers?

          1. Shreyas Mohanty (@)
            17th July 2013, 16:37

            @spoutnik I am not a know-all , but I am having a hard time to understand why you claim some parts can only be tested by young drivers? A more seasoned driver like Alonso will obviously give more consistent data on new parts..

          2. @shreyasf1fan If I have well understood the not-so-young drivers cannot test cars with new parts on it. They can only test the tyres. So if ferrari wants to test many parts they have to do it with young drivers?

          3. Shreyas Mohanty (@)
            17th July 2013, 16:49

            @spoutnik Oh, so you meant FIA’s rules? Sorry, my bad mate.

        2. @shreyasf1fan He’s working his ass out by covering thousands of kilometres on a bike..

          1. Shreyas Mohanty (@)
            17th July 2013, 16:35

            Is he going to race with the bike at Hungary, @wsrgo? I am not anti-Alonso..he is my favourite..but clear my confusion here!

          2. @shreyasf1fan Well, he missed the Jerez test too, it doesn’t seem to have hurt him overtly..I know these are the new tyres, but he’ll get the feedback from Rigon and Massa, though I do admit, it’s not the same as track testing..

          3. Shreyas Mohanty (@)
            17th July 2013, 16:50

            @wsrgo That was my initial argument :)

          4. @shreyasf1fan I know, I tied myself in knots there trying to refute your point :P

  6. I think there are many other drivers that would be a better option.
    Can’t they chose bianchi?

    1. @nixon There’s a question mark regarding that as I had raised here . Bianchi is contracted to Marussia, and I guess it overrides his Ferrari Driver Academy contract. I stress on ‘I guess’ because I’m not completely sure at this time.

      1. He’d be allowed to test for Ferrari, just like Ricciardo is allowed to test for Red Bull but they’re giving Rigon the chance because he does more of Ferrari’s simulator work than Bianchi does and he doesn’t have a race seat

  7. Why isnt Pedro testing?!

    1. on holiday with Nando in Ibiza!!

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