All eyes were on Daniel Ricciardo at the second day of the Young Drivers’ Test at Silverstone and he duly set the quickest time of the day.
But he did so in his regular Toro Rosso – not the Red Bull he drove in the afternoon as the team evaluate whether to hire him as a replacement for Mark Webber in 2014. Ricciardo went off seven laps into his run in the RB9 without damaging the car.
It was a Toro Rosso one-two at the top of the times sheets as Carlos Sainz Jnr lapped within five hundredths of a second of Ricciardo’s mark. That put him between Ricciardo’s two quickest efforts – he placed third with a lap of 1’33.187 in the RB9.
Ricciardo’s spin was the second of the day. Robin Frijns went off at the end of his half-day in the Sauber. He spun into a gravel trap at Luffield while pushing for a quick time and brought out the red flags. Nico Hulkenberg took over the car in the afternoon.
Five teams split their running between two drivers during the day. Among them were Williams, who gave Daniel Juncadella some extra seat time after his test yesterday was cut short.
Driver | Car | Best time | Laps | Difference | |
1 | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR8 | 1’32.972 | 48 | |
2 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR8 | 1’33.016 | 39 | 0.044 |
3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull-Renault RB9 | 1’33.187 | 59 | 0.215 |
4 | Davide Valsecchi | Lotus-Renault E21 | 1’33.554 | 91 | 0.582 |
5 | Oliver Turvey | McLaren-Mercedes MP4-28 | 1’33.864 | 97 | 0.892 |
6 | James Calado | Force India-Mercedes VJM06 | 1’33.957 | 47 | 0.985 |
7 | Antonio Felix da Costa | Red Bull-Renault RB9 | 1’33.958 | 19 | 0.986 |
8 | Davide Rigon | Ferrari F138 | 1’34.053 | 97 | 1.081 |
9 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault FW35 | 1’34.116 | 71 | 1.144 |
10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber-Ferrari C32 | 1’34.224 | 52 | 1.252 |
11 | Daniel Juncadella | Williams-Renault FW35 | 1’34.631 | 33 | 1.659 |
12 | Robin Frijns | Sauber-Ferrari C32 | 1’34.731 | 17 | 1.759 |
13 | Will Stevens | Caterham-Renault CT03 | 1’36.082 | 98 | 3.110 |
14 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes VJM06 | 1’36.356 | 41 | 3.384 |
15 | Rodolfo Gonzalez | Marussia-Cosworth MR02 | 1’37.949 | 92 | 4.977 |
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Image © Red Bull/Getty
karter22 (@karter22)
18th July 2013, 17:18
Hmmm dI don´t know what to make of this. Maybe he isn´t ready to step up it seems!
Nick (@npf1)
18th July 2013, 22:13
Looks like James Calado needs to replace Paul di Resta as well by that logic.
Kimi4WDC
19th July 2013, 0:07
Not many would mind, I’d imagine :)
mnmracer (@mnmracer)
19th July 2013, 9:18
It means the Toro Rosso is actually faster than the Red Bull!
Maksutov (@maksutov)
20th July 2013, 2:04
I doubt the RB was even setup correctly for DR, which explains why he was quicker in his own car. I think he did pretty good considering.
Enigma (@enigma)
18th July 2013, 17:28
A bit of a shame he didn’t get a one-two!
jx (@jx)
18th July 2013, 17:36
It must have been strange changing cars in the lunch break, It’s not really a challenge that has much precedence in F1. Literally everything would just have a subtle difference from the handling to the engine to the steering wheel controls and brakes.
Infi24r (@infi24r)
18th July 2013, 17:37
Spin isn’t really correct, he ran wide and glided off into a sand pit.
The lap times are fairly meaningless considering the setup, fuel and type of stints they were running.
Ricciardo got a very impressive 59 laps in with the RB9 and drove cleanly and sensibly.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
18th July 2013, 18:18
@infi24r Fair point – I’ve revised the text to make that clearer.
Manished
18th July 2013, 18:31
what matter to the team is the telemetry data.
That;s how you access the driver capabilities.
DD42
19th July 2013, 4:37
I don’t think they’d need telemetery to realise that crashing isn’t going to win a grand prix!
Tim M (@tim-m)
18th July 2013, 17:40
Davide Rigon is 8/10’s faster today than yesterday; nice improvement.
Robbie (@robbie)
18th July 2013, 17:45
I’d be surprised if RBR was using this test to evaluate DR. They know how he is doing under the much more constant circumstances of his regular ride throughout the regular race weekends, and RBR simply has to decide…do they want 2 roosters on the team, in which case they go for KR by all accounts, or if they want a natural number 2 for SV, then by all accounts it sounds like that’s DR.
GoDaddyGuy27 (@godaddyguy27)
18th July 2013, 23:48
That doesn’t necessarily apply as let’s face it the STR isn’t a world beater RIC could challenge SV in a better car.
Robbie (@robbie)
19th July 2013, 16:00
I don’t entirely disagree with that, but I would say that if they hire DR instead of KR it will be an indicator to me that they are not looking for someone to challenge SV since DR is relatively unproven. For all we know, the pressure of being in the best car might see him make mental errors and squander what he has, whereas KR is a proven entity in top cars, a proven WDC, and therefore is an entity that RBR already knows what to expect from if they hire him. So in that sense, while I take your point that DR might be a rooster, he’s not now, and I don’t think he will be allowed to be one at RBR…their hiring of him being an indication to me that they’re happy with it being SV’s team.
GoDaddyGuy27 (@godaddyguy27)
19th July 2013, 16:32
@robbie I take your point what I was trying to say was that as you say DR is unproven so who knows what he could do when he got the chance?
Robbie (@robbie)
19th July 2013, 17:49
Fair comment, and really…all drivers need a top car to really show their stuff both in terms of pace and racecraft and the mental game…the pressures that they will have never experienced while being in a lesser car and therefore the expectations, and the competition, and the media attention not nearly being the same.
Jimmy Hearn (@alebelly74)
19th July 2013, 5:06
I think RBR prefers to have two roosters. But KR is incredibly marketable at this point, regardless of what they think of DR – KR is the absolute first choice.
Jimmy Hearn (@alebelly74)
19th July 2013, 5:08
The team with the best two drivers gets payed the most.
Robbie (@robbie)
19th July 2013, 17:51
The fans deserve to see two gladiators in the top teams…especially THE top team. To do otherwise to me robs the viewing audience of the best show.
AdrianMorse (@adrianmorse)
18th July 2013, 17:49
A disappointing day for Ricciardo, and possibly one with dire consequences for him. Christian Horner labeled today as a great opportunity for Ricciardo, but to get into a strange car and have to deliver right away is more a risk than an opportunity, and that’s certainly how it turned out today. I didn’t see his spin, but it looked like he (and Frijns at the same spot) simply understeered off the circuit at a place where normally a driver wouldn’t be very cautious.
It’s not all over for Ricciardo, of course, especially if Kimi decides to stay put at Lotus, but this spin could not have come at a worse time for him.
Robbie (@robbie)
18th July 2013, 17:55
I’d really be surprised if DR’s future comes down to one spin. One could argue that it shows he tries hard which is often how someone defends their fave driver when he goes off. I think the fact that Horner has hinted it will come down to DR or KR indicates that DR has already done enough in F1 to put him on the top 2 of a hugely key list. That’s nothing to sneeze at. I think it will come down to whether or not RBR actually wants 2 roosters on the team, or SV and a natural number 2. My goodness I sure think the face of F1 would be a lot different if one singular incident, by a bloke in a car that is not his ‘own,’ under testing conditions, would make or break his future.
Mads (@mads)
18th July 2013, 18:29
@adrianmorse
They won’t decide on DR based on a single off and the fasetst laptime in this test.
It’s not his regular car, so he has no experience with it etc. and everyone runs off the track as well.
What they will get out of this test however is experience with him as a team member.
They will get a good understanding of how he acts within the team. How hard does he work? How accurate is he in his feedback? etc.
They all run different programs at different times with different fuel loads, so laptimes are completely meaningless as well.
This could easily be the day that Red Bull decides to sign him for 2014. Or be the completely opposite. We simply can’t know.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
18th July 2013, 23:12
I second all of this. It’s more important that Ricciardo works through his testing programme. If he sets a quick lap time, great, but it’s not going to be the only criteria Red Bull judge hum on.
D (@f190)
18th July 2013, 17:53
I really doubt the spin will change anything but I bet Ricardo has nightmares about it tonight. You have to see this as his first drive in a car that could make him a WDC. I bet he was begging for the chance of a low fuel quality run ! I guess to us it’s like going for a promotion and your pant falling down in the interview, if they think your right for the job it may not change anything but you would feel a bit of an idiot for a few days !
AdrianSS
18th July 2013, 18:22
If I remember correctly, Hamilton went straight into a wall during his first test. It’s not the end of the World for Ricciardo. I’m looking forward to seeing what the team has to say about his performance – everything else is just speculation.
Ean (@ean)
18th July 2013, 19:11
What about young driver Sainz only .044 of a second slower than him in same car ? Does not make him look very bright
Nick (@schneeb)
18th July 2013, 19:26
Race drivers weren’t allowed to use SS/Soft tires or change setup? Does not make you look very bright (ZING)…
Oskar (@oskar)
19th July 2013, 8:28
was his first F1 experience (Sainz)
Ean (@ean)
20th July 2013, 12:48
@ Nick If this is correct why is Vettel 6/10ths faster than Sainz and not just a fraction like Riccardo
SeaHorse (@seahorse)
18th July 2013, 19:28
@ean The reason being Ricciardo’s run in both STR and RBR were dictated by Pirelli such as fuel load, setup changes etc., whereas Sainz qualifies as a young driver and had the freedom (relative to RIC) to decide on the setups, fuel load, new parts etc. since it is the decision of STR and not Pirelli. So comparing the fastest laps of these two in the same car is meaningless. Perhaps comparing any time set by any driver in this YDT would be meaningless, I guess.
ed (@doombug11)
18th July 2013, 19:24
Was over at Silverstone earlier, was on our way out when we stopped for a bit to watch Ricciardo in the Red Bull and from what I had seen up to that point he was having a decent attack on those first seven laps. Great enthusiasm, obviously really trying to grab his opportunity. When he dumped it in the gravel going into luffield he made a good attempt to navigate all the way round the outside before he dug in, didn’t seemed annoyed either had a big grin on his face and was even having a little chuckle with the red bull mechanics who came to collect the car.
As much as I love Kimi and he would make sense on a competitive level, it would be a shame if Red Bull didn’t promote one of their Junior drivers. I would like to see Ricciardo given a shot, he seems confident and with a dusting a aussie grit I think he will handle himself well against Vettel.
petebaldwin (@)
18th July 2013, 19:56
I think there’s a great chance that Ricciardo will get the seat. 2 drivers from Toro Rosso now driving for Red Bull. It shows that their young driver programme works and goes with the whole Red Bull ethos. Signing Raikkonen makes a mockery of the whole idea IMO.
tmekt (@tmekt)
18th July 2013, 21:18
I don’t really understand why so many seem to think that RB would be compelled to hire Ricciardo just because he drives for Toro Rosso. No matter how irrelevant it might make the young driver program if they don’t go for either of the TR drivers they won’t do it unless they’re convinced the driver is quick enough. That’s all that matters, sister team’s publicity hasn’t got anything to do with anything.
petebaldwin (@)
18th July 2013, 23:22
@tmekt It’s nothing to do with the sister team’s publicity – it’s Red Bull’s image as a company in general.
I can understand how the F1 team would want Kimi rather than Ricciardo but as a business, Ricciardo is very marketable in addition to fitting with the whole brand image. Hiring someone who is already a world champion is fine but it doesn’t have the same gravitas as bringing a second driver into the sport and making them a champion.
Kimi4WDC
19th July 2013, 0:13
You can’t be more wrong. Kimi is an etalon for Red Bull average consumer.
xjr15jaaag (@xjr15jaaag)
18th July 2013, 22:02
I think it wouldn’t make sense to hire Kimi, as having 2 roosters in one house ends badly; ask Mclaren after 2007.
If they hire Ricciardo, I think he wouldn’t present as much of a threat to Vettel than Raikkonen would, but Ricciardo is clearly an awesome talent; in my opinion, he’s just not quite as good as vettel, Hamilton and co.
Basically, Ricciardo is good enough to get a load of points in the constructors and then finish in the top 3 for the drivers championship, but not good enough to put vettels fifth title into jeopardy (assuming vettel wins this year)
petebaldwin (@)
18th July 2013, 23:24
@xjr15jaaag – I think he’ll be closer to Vettel than Webber has been. Add to that that he has time on his side and will only get better.
With 2 full seasons at Red Bull, I’d expect him to be able to challenge Vettel.
xjr15jaaag (@xjr15jaaag)
19th July 2013, 7:30
@petebaldwin
maybe, but for the time being, he will not present enough of a threat to threaten vettels 5th WDC (assuming he wins it this year and RBR have a good car next year)
petebaldwin (@)
19th July 2013, 12:25
True – I think it’ll take him a while to get up to speed. He seems a nice guy like when Vettel started out. It takes a few years to get that “winner’s mentality”!
Nick (@nick101)
19th July 2013, 9:03
Sorry, but I couldn’t disagree more! I believe that once Dan get’s settled, assuming he get’s the drive, he’ll give Vettel a hiding on more than a few occasions. You only have to look at what he did at the young driver test in Abu Dhabi a couple of years ago.
If he get’s a good drive, be it with RBR or another top team, he will be Australia’s first WDC since Alan Jones. Maybe not straight away, but I reckon it’ll happen!
Swindle94 (@swindle94)
18th July 2013, 22:08
This all comes down to if kimi wants the seat. If he does, it’s his. But DR was in good spirits afterwards and the team seemed impressed with his feedback. DR chances are not over because of a simple off in a test.
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
18th July 2013, 22:14
Ricciardo is funny:
“I’ll watch Seb’s (Vettel’s) times tomorrow (Friday) and hope he doesn’t put me to shame. (laughs).”
soundscape (@)
18th July 2013, 23:19
I’ll never get to drive an F1 car in my life. This I have accepted.
But to be able to ride two seperate, current cars in one day?! That’s just not fair!
Jimmy Hearn (@alebelly74)
19th July 2013, 5:09
That is pretty damn cool
GoDaddyGuy27 (@godaddyguy27)
18th July 2013, 23:54
If DR isn’t signed then RBR may as well scrap the junior drivers and STR with it coz it proves there’s no reward for a few years in an inferior car (ie JA, SB, VL etc.)
Robbie (@robbie)
19th July 2013, 20:31
Hmmmm…I suspect STR doesn’t exist JUST to develop junior drivers though. I get what you are saying but I really doubt they are paying the kind of money it takes to field two cars at STR simply to groom drivers. There must be way more reasons to have that team. And there IS reward for STR’s drivers…they get to be in F1 and depending on how they do, great things can come of it. And for sure sometimes patience is what is needed. Some drivers aren’t on ‘feeder teams’ and are relegated to lesser teams their whole career and never get a chance in a top 3 team, never win a race, but even they are still lucky to have had a stint in F1. Only a relatively small handful of guys, in a relatively small group of F1 drivers in the history of F1, get to be in top cars and win races…and even fewer get to be WDC’s. Like lots of pro athletes in all the sports…the vast minority of them get to go all the way. But the journey is I’m sure all they wanted to begin with starting in their youth, or all they saw themselves doing for a career, so they did that, and I think they all know there are no guarantees of anything.
I Love the Pope
19th July 2013, 4:54
The young Webber and future #2 driver spun out? He’s perfect for RB Racing.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th July 2013, 9:21
I have to marvel at how this was presented in the Australian media – as if Ricciardo was racing for the vacant Red Bull seat.
DominikWilde (@dominikwilde)
19th July 2013, 13:01
When will photos of Day 2 be online?
Garns (@)
19th July 2013, 16:54
I met Dan in Suzuka last year- what a top young fella!! He spoke to my wife & I for 8-10minutes in the Paddock Club (ok, we were the only English speaking people he could talk to while having photos LOL) but what a champ. The only issue he spent too much time asking about OUR Japanese holiday when I just wanted to talk F1 haha!!
Webber was a sharp shooter- and we loved his honest remarks for sure!! Dan will be a bit different but will do us Aussies proud (Reb Bull next year or not!!)
Tasimana
21st July 2013, 10:17
Red bull will look at the data and analyse given they would know the set up of the car as prescribed by Pirelli. Long run pace and consistency are the keys here. Would be great for F1 to see a young driver be given an opportunity to show what he can do. If he doesn’t get the seat he should look for a move.