Driver line-up set for final pre-season test of 2015

2015 F1 season

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Most teams will alternate their drivers on each day of the final four-day pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton will start proceedings for Mercedes and leave team mate Nico Rosberg to do the final day of running in the W06 before the Australian Grand Prix.

Jenson Button will also run on the first day of the test while Kevin Magnussen is on-hand to substitute for the injured Fernando Alonso. McLaren are yet to confirm the full details of their plans.

For the first time this year Romain Grosjean will get two days of running in the Lotus E23 at a test.

However Force India will only have three days with their new car which they intend to run for the first time on Friday. The team does not intend to use its old car at all during the test and will run race drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez in the VJM08.

Despite having announced their intention to participate in the first race of the season, Manor has not announced any involvement in the final pre-season test.

TeamCarThursday 26thFriday 27thSaturday 28thSunday 1st
MercedesW06Lewis HamiltonNico RosbergLewis HamiltonNico Rosberg
Red BullRB11Daniil KvyatDaniil KvyatDaniel RicciardoDaniel Ricciardo
WilliamsFW37Felipe MassaValtteri BottasFelipe MassaValtteri Bottas
FerrariSF15-TKimi RaikkonenSebastian VettelKimi RaikkonenSebastian Vettel
McLarenMP4-30Jenson ButtonTBATBATBA
Force IndiaVJM08Not runningTBATBATBA
Toro RossoSTR10Carlos Sainz JnrMax VerstappenCarlos Sainz JnrMax Verstappen
LotusE23Romain GrosjeanPastor MaldonadoRomain GrosjeanPastor Maldonado
Manor (Marussia)Not present
SauberC34Marcus EricssonFelipe NasrMarcus EricssonFelipe Nasr
CaterhamNot present

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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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14 comments on “Driver line-up set for final pre-season test of 2015”

  1. How much will it affect Alonso as he is going to miss the final and crucial test?

      1. The lack of mileage the McLaren-Honda programme as a whole has had so far will be a greater concern to him. If they are still only doing a dozen laps here and a dozen laps there over the next few days that’ll be a far greater worry.

        If on the other hand they have a breakthrough, and Button and Magnussen are doing hundred-lap days, then Alonso and McLaren will rue not having him in the car and getting the benefit of his experience to direct the development of the still-young partnership.

        Although in Magnussen they probably couldn’t have a test driver with more relevant recent experience of the current engines.

        1. @Keith Collantine .. Alonso is widely accepted as the most adaptable and complete driver. So will it hurt him if Button is having a better awareness about the car?

          1. @Ventana:
            I don’t think so. Button might have a small advantage, but Alonso’s experience and information exchange within the team will keep him afloat. He won’t be able to use 100% of his potential in Melbourne and possibly also in the following race(s), but this also holds true for the vast majority of the grid. ALso, the learning curve tends to get much steeper after the first breakthroughs with a new car, so that this disadvantage will probably not affect him much.

          2. @Keith Collantine

            This @Keith guy, who hasn’t been active in almost 3 years, must have close to a thousand mentions and notifications by now. :P

        2. True that. I wouldn’t worry for Alonso, as he has a vast experience to build on, so whatever deficit he’ll have by the start of the Melbourne weekend, is going to be watered down very quickly.
          Honda and McLaren are however going to be disappointed by the absence of one of the best-renowned development drivers on the grid, which isn’t a great prospect when your situation is very reminiscent of 2014’s Lotus.

    1. I’m not at all worried about Alonso not having enough “experience” in his McLaren car relative to Button. I remember how a lot of people were expecting Alonso to struggle at the beginning of the 2010 season due to being new at Ferrari. Guess what? He was extremely rapid from the get-go and smashed Massa on pace as early as Australia (Race 2 of the season). Alonso is one of the most adaptable drivers on the grid, he can jump in almost any car and drive it fast.

  2. Is there a reason why Caterham is included on the list? I believe that their assets are being sold off and the team is defunct.

    1. I would guess because they have a provisional entry to the season, and technically could run if they were able.

  3. If I was JB I would hope to do the first two days have a day off and then do the last day, that would give him lots of mileage (hopefully) and enable the team to give a driver who is actually going to start the race plenty of car time. Sorry Kevin, in this situation, you are not a priority.

  4. I’m glad to Magnussen’s opportunity.

  5. Here we go! Last test, time to lay the cards on the table. OK, maybe not ALL the cards, but teams will certainly be pushing the limit and prepping for that all important Q1 just over the horizon. It is seriously crunch time for those at the back of the pack as well, hoping to see some major strides from McLaren-Honda.

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