Red Bull have confirmed they will participate in the Young Drivers Test which will take place at Silverstone next month.
Mercedes’ ban for attending the test handed down by the FIA Tribunal had prompted speculation Red Bull might skip it to hold their own test using their race drivers.
But Red Bull confirmed on Friday it will participate in the test on July 17th to 19th.
Antonio Felix da Costa, who drove for them at last year’s test, will do the first two days of running at Silverstone. Carlos Sainz Jnr will do the driving on the final day.
Da Costa is third in Formula Renault 3.5 and Sainz lies sixth in the GP3 series.
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Mike (@mike)
28th June 2013, 9:09
Not exactly a surprise.
I still think this test is a great opportunity for young drivers. I just hope people like Paffet are run. For sure I think Gary should have opportunities as well, but it kind of defies the point of the test.
Mike (@mike)
28th June 2013, 9:09
Sorry, typo, I meant, Guys like Paffet are not used.
Force Maikel (@force-maikel)
28th June 2013, 9:12
Well I hope McLaren will run Magnussen and Vandoorne. They are 1 and 2 in their championship after all.
Calum (@calum)
28th June 2013, 11:47
With respect to Magnussen and Vandoorne, great drivers as their championship standing show, but they are not what Mclaren need to be using.
Mclaren are really struggling, and will have as many new components and censors on their car as possible, and the most experienced simulator and test driver, Paffet, will be out on track. Probably doing the most laps of anybody and he will be doing the most thorough driver feedback sessions out of everybody as Mclaren through everything at one last attempt to make the second half of their season respectable by getting on top of the MP4-28 development path.
Calum (@calum)
28th June 2013, 11:48
…as Mclaren *throw* everything…
dennis (@dennis)
28th June 2013, 11:53
And that is the big problem with the young-drivers test, while in-season testing doesn’t happen. Instead of scouting new drivers and telling them to show everyone what they can, they’re supposed to drive 120 along the straights in a car that looks like somebody built a scale model without removing the frames beforehand.
Then with a bit of sponsorship they get a cockpit in one of the lower teams, wreck more than what they bring on money and are never seen again.
Force Maikel (@force-maikel)
28th June 2013, 15:42
@calum That’s beats the purpose of it being a young driver test. Most teams test new materials but at least they are using young drivers . Paffet is not a YD.
Calum (@calum)
28th June 2013, 16:07
He’s not young, but it’s a legitimate move, withing the confines of the rules. Paffet has driven no Grand Prix races so can compete, regardless of his age and regardless of his vast testing miles and simulator feedback knowledge.
Force Maikel (@force-maikel)
28th June 2013, 9:10
They really need to buy some ducktape for Marko.
gdewilde (@gdewilde)
28th June 2013, 9:22
and a tranquillizer gun as well…
Coanda (@ming-mong)
28th June 2013, 9:38
Yeah filled with Batrachotoxin ;)
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
28th June 2013, 11:12
Wasn’t he the one that denied the rumours @force-maikel? ;)
^Mo^
28th June 2013, 9:56
That’s what you get for canceling a race and leaving a month’s gap. People start writing crap because they have nothing else to write about. Of course Red Bull was never going to break the rules and test on their own, that was a silly article to begin with. I’m sure someone had a good laugh about it though.
Tomsk (@tomsk)
28th June 2013, 12:21
Who will drive for Toro Rosso then?
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
28th June 2013, 14:30
@tomsk Difficult to say, maybe Kvyat will get a run, and Sainz might get one too, in addition to the day he is testing with RBR. Mitch Evans is another contender, as he is Red Bull-backed and is currently driving for Christian Horner’s Arden squad in GP2, and doing a pretty good job at it too!!
kpcart
28th June 2013, 13:07
id like ferrari or redbull to spring a surprise and run their race drivers during the young driver test. but it looks less likely they will do any protest like test, mercedes will likely be bought back down to earth this weekend, and redbull and ferrari wont need to behave like that.
Rigi (@rigi)
28th June 2013, 15:24
when do we know which team is bringing which driver to this test? is there a deadline?