Australian Daniel Ricciardo kept champions Red Bull on top of the Formula One timesheets, two days after Sebastian Vettel completed a title double for the team.
|Last Updated: Nov 17, 2010, 12:41 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Abu Dhabi: Australian Daniel Ricciardo kept champions Red Bull on top of the Formula One timesheets, two days after Sebastian Vettel completed a title double for the team.
Ricciardo, at 21 just two years younger than Red Bull`s newly crowned champion, showed an impressive pace on the first day of post-season tests of young and up-and-coming drivers at Abu Dhabi`s Yas Marina circuit.
The Perth driver`s best lap of one minute 39.616 seconds would have put him third on the grid last Sunday, although the track has got faster with use since then.
"I think I`ve done quite a bit now in the junior categories and now this is my fourth proper day in an F1 car," said last year`s British Formula Three champion. "So I think I`m ready (for Formula One)," he told autosport.com.
Venezuela`s Pastor Maldonado, hot favourite to take Nico Hulkenberg`s vacant race seat at Williams, was in action with the HRT team and did 108 laps. Compatriot Rodolfo Gonzales was driving for Lotus."It was very good because I adapted immediately to F1 cars," said Maldonado, who tests for Williams on Wednesday.
The timing screens were full of unfamiliar names to those who pay little attention to junior series, with drivers from a swathe of countries not currently represented in Formula One.
Indonesia`s Rio Haryanto, 17, tried out the Virgin in the morning.
"When I first got into the car I must admit I was very nervous, mainly because there were so many people working around me and watching me," he said.
Antonio Felix da Costa, 19, tried out the Force India as the youngest Portuguese to get behind the wheel of an F1 car.Sauber had Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, their 19-year-old reserve driver from Monterrey, on track while Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne was in the Toro Rosso.
Russia`s Mikhail Aleshin tested for Renault, who already have a Russian race driver in Vitaly Petrov.
Regular race drivers, including Vettel, will return to Yas Marina on Friday to test the new Pirelli tyres that have replaced Bridgestone for 2011.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.