Ferrari retains three test drivers

2014 F1 season

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Ferrari will continue to use three test drivers during the 2014 F1 season.

Former F1 drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Marc Gene will remain part of the team’s test programme, as will Davide Rigon. The latter has signed a new two-year deal with the team.

Gene, who enters his tenth year with the team, is now Ferrari’s longest serving active driver following the departure of Felipe Massa.

As well as conducting testing work for the team including at this year’s four in-season tests, the trio will also perform at promotional events for Ferrari.

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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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13 comments on “Ferrari retains three test drivers”

  1. I don’t know why such drivers agree to be testers any more. It doesn’t even afford a fraction of the prestige or dignity it once did.

    1. petebaldwin (@)
      4th February 2014, 16:24

      De La Rosa will do a lot of work on the sim for Ferrari so I suppose with him, it’s either retire and take a job on the TV or play video games for a living….

      I don’t understand the younger guys doing it though because their input on the sim won’t be that good and they won’t get any track time. If you have hopes of getting an F1 seat, it’d make more sense to get a seat in GP2 and prove your worth.

    2. If ferrari asked you to test drive their car secretly, wouldn’t you say yes?

      1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
        4th February 2014, 18:26

        @marc512 I’m not a Ferrari fan, but… can you prove it?

        1. I’m not a ferrari fan either, but if they asked me to test their car… I would say yes! I’d be useless but I’d enjoy the one lap I tried to complete!

      2. Well yes but I’m a nobody who’s never even sat in a race car. These guys could be off racing in a number of top level international series. I guess Ferrari testing work pays quite well.

  2. To say that Gene is Ferrari’s test driver is quite funny. As far as i know his job is to do the television commentary for Sky at each and a every race and to defend Ferrari’s image whenever ugly things happen. I don’t know if he does this knowingly or not, but for us tv viewers it doesn’t make a difference.

    1. A bit harsh, but I have never liked the idea of having him commentating the races. He doesn’t have a balanced opinion of things and sometimes he exaggerates in his love with Ferrari. I hope they change him this year, but I think it’s unlikely.

  3. Super Pedro is so old! 43 this year! It’s a credit to his outstanding test driver qualities that he drove at Jerez, a secret tyre test with a 2011 car and 2 days with the tyre test in Bahrain last year. Don’t really get why Rigon is there, not a particularly great driver, but he must be happy to take Kobayashi’s WEC seat. Gene must wonder why they still employ him, no testing for years and he’s lost his Audi WEC seat…

    1. They employ him to make good comments about Ferrari on Italian sky broadcasting. He’s a regular.

  4. what about Fisicella.. I think he is part of Italian marque, has the Italian kicked out from Ferrari. Haven’t heard for long time.

    1. Fisi usually does Le Mans 24 hr driving a Ferrari, doesn’t he?

    2. @zippyone

      Yep, he’s been racing in the WEC past couple of years with AF Corse and the 458 GT. I think the team has been doing very well, actually. It was where Kobayashi went as well for the past year…

      Looks like AF Corse is a very popular destination for former F1 drivers.

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