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17th
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Teams Red Bull Racing and Lotus announced that their regular race drivers would not participate in the young driver test held at Silverstone circuit in the UK.
Following a clarification of the permitted programmes from Pirelli and the FIA for the test, Red Bull Racing has revised its driver line up as follows, meaning that Mark Webber will not take the wheel of the Renault-powered RB9:
Wednesday July 17
All Day: Antonio Felix Da Costa
Thursday July 18
Morning: Antonio Felix Da Costa
Afternoon: Daniel Ricciardo
Friday July 19
Morning: Carlos Sainz Jr
Afternoon: Sebastian Vettel
The test schedule was also modified at Lotus F1 Team. Nicolas Prost will now be driving the E21-Renault on the final day of the test in place of Kimi Raikkonen.
“After clarification emerged regarding the scope of tests that could be conducted by race drivers for Pirelli this week, it was evident that Kimi would be rather under utilised and that a better way forward was to use one of the team's test drivers to continue their work with the E21,” says the press release.
“Once details of what race drivers were allowed to do here became apparent, we would have only been able to conduct a very limited programme with Kimi,” said trackside operations director Alan Permane.
“If we were to run him, it would compromise the other development work we want to do with the car here. By running Nico again we'll be able to build on the work already carried out and hopefully be in the best position to develop the E21 ahead of Budapest, whilst also conducting the necessary tire testing for Pirelli."
Following a clarification of the permitted programmes from Pirelli and the FIA for the test, Red Bull Racing has revised its driver line up as follows, meaning that Mark Webber will not take the wheel of the Renault-powered RB9:
Wednesday July 17
All Day: Antonio Felix Da Costa
Thursday July 18
Morning: Antonio Felix Da Costa
Afternoon: Daniel Ricciardo
Friday July 19
Morning: Carlos Sainz Jr
Afternoon: Sebastian Vettel
 |
| Mark Webber, Red Bull RB9. (Photo: WRi2) |
The test schedule was also modified at Lotus F1 Team. Nicolas Prost will now be driving the E21-Renault on the final day of the test in place of Kimi Raikkonen.
“After clarification emerged regarding the scope of tests that could be conducted by race drivers for Pirelli this week, it was evident that Kimi would be rather under utilised and that a better way forward was to use one of the team's test drivers to continue their work with the E21,” says the press release.
 |
| Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus E21. (Photo: WRi2) |
“Once details of what race drivers were allowed to do here became apparent, we would have only been able to conduct a very limited programme with Kimi,” said trackside operations director Alan Permane.
“If we were to run him, it would compromise the other development work we want to do with the car here. By running Nico again we'll be able to build on the work already carried out and hopefully be in the best position to develop the E21 ahead of Budapest, whilst also conducting the necessary tire testing for Pirelli."