Ricciardo sets fastest lap of Abu Dhabi in test

2011 F1 testing

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Jules Bianchi, Ferrari, Abu Dhabi, 2010

Daniel Ricciardo did the fastest ever lap of the Yas Marina circuit during the second young drivers’ test day.

He beat Sebastian Vettel’s pole position time by more than a second in the latter stages of the final test day.

Renault’s Jerome d’Ambrosio and Mercedes’ Sam Bird also got under Vettel’s pole time of 1’39.394.

All three were testing for a second day, as were Jules Bianchi (Ferrari, Paul di Resta (Force India), Pastor Maldonado (Williams), Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) and Rodolfo Gonzalez (Lotus).

Sauber’s new 2011 driver Sergio Perez was at the wheel of the C29, setting the sixth fastest time.

The end of the session was disrupted by a series of red flags caused by Yelmer Buurman, Pastor Maldonado and Davide Valsecchi.

Jean-Eric Vergne’s session ended early following an engine problem in his Toro Rosso. The French driver said:

Today, we did some set-up work, so that I could begin to experience the basic mechanism of how set-up changes affect the car. There is a lot to think about, with so much information to take on board, much more than I am used to and another aspect that felt strange at first was driving with the power steering.

It’s been a very hectic but enjoyable time and now I head to Macau where I start free practice tomorrow morning.
Jean-Eric Vergne

This session marked the final time Bridgestone tyres will be used in Formula 1. On Friday the teams will conduct the first test on Pirelli tyres, which will be used in 2011.

Driver Car Best time Difference
Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault RB6 1’38.102 0
Jerome d’Ambrosio Renault R30 1’38.802 0.700
Sam Bird Mercedes W01 1’39.220 1.118
Gary Paffett McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25 1’39.760 1.658
Jules Bianchi Ferrari F10 1’39.916 1.814
Sergio Perez BMW Sauber-Ferrari C29 1’40.543 2.441
Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes VJM03 1’40.901 2.799
Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth FW32 1’40.944 2.842
Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR5 1’40.974 2.872
Yelmer Burrman Force India-Mercedes VJM03 1’41.178 3.076
Davide Valsecchi HRT-Cosworth F110 1’43.013 4.911
Luiz Razia Virgin-Cosworth VR-01 1’43.525 5.423
Josef Kral HRT-Cosworth F110 1’44.143 6.041
Rodolfo Gonzalez Lotus-Cosworth T127 1’44.312 6.21
Vladimiar Arabadzhiev Lotus-Cosworth T127 1’45.723 7.621

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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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    32 comments on “Ricciardo sets fastest lap of Abu Dhabi in test”

    1. The track is much faster.
      But Ricciardo also seems very quick!

    2. I thought Maldonando can do much more. No surprise about Bulgarian

    3. From Friday will we see regular F1 driver in the cockpit?

      1. sometimes will, some will use test drivers. i think paffet is going to be in the mclaren.

        id expect michael to be in the merc as its so important he gets running on the new tyres

        1. Surprise by Mclaren’s decision is you are right I thought that Button’s should go for the test as he was struggling in the quali to get heat in the tyre.Schumacher needs to get the best,he is the man who will be under pressure in 2011.

          1. No, they announced both race drivers will not be in the test last week.
            I suppose they want Paffet to get a good solid basis for comparing data of the car on Bridgestones (yesterday, today) and then on the Pirrelli’s on Friday to feed into their tyre simulator.
            Having different drivers would make it harder to use that data.

          2. Well, Paffet is the team test driver so he’ll be doing a hell of a lot of siumlator time, and if he knows what the new tyres feel like he may well do more good then Hamilton or Button. Against that in both respects is the fact the tyres are going to change when they go on in testing.

            I still don’t fully agree or understand the desicion though, you’d always put your drivers in for track time usually, as most people seem to have.

    4. Either Alonso and Massa put that car where it shouldn’t have been, or Bianchi is not doing well at all! Behind an HRT yesterday…

      1. Today he improved, but he’s behind a McLaren (OK), Red Bull (OK), but a Mercedes, that has never been to top teams-level, is not OK.

        1. And a Renualt too!

          1. I reckon he’s doing high fuel, the man is seriously speedy, a few GP2 pole positions, an some nice tittle wins point to that. I remember seeing pictures of the car without an F-Duct yesterday, makes sense as it’s now banned it but i’d imagine it brings quite a large penalty at this track.

    5. What is that long black thing on top of the Car…..?????

      1. Its used to check airflow over the cars.

        1. so why does it need to be so tall? air up there doesn’t affect the aero at all…

          1. Lots and lots of sensors.

            1. sensing what though? airflow half a metre above the car? sounds a bit pointless…

          2. That’s exactly why it’s so high. It’s a pitot tube, and is comparing the undisturbed air with the disturbed air.

    6. HounslowBusGarage
      17th November 2010, 14:22

      As long as there is no rain between now and Friday, the Pirelli tyres will be tested on a well-rubbered track by real F1 cars. Does anyone know if the times will be made public, or will this be an entirely private ‘shake-down’ test?

      1. I imagine there will be lots of unofficial times taken, still, I wonder whether doing the test on such a rubbered in will seriously mask the tyres real attributes and performance over a grand prix weekend.

        Surley you’d want to see what the tyres do on a fairly green track and run three days of tests, an get some equivliency with what the tyres will actually have to handle over 5 sessions on an evolving track.

        1. HounslowBusGarage
          17th November 2010, 21:10

          Yep, I agree. But this isn’t the only tyre test session, is it?

    7. It’s some sort of telemetry aid, saw them in testing before the start of this season.

      Also, Lotus drive the last ever set of Bridgestones out of the garage.

    8. Just proves what was said yesterday and this morning, half the grid would on been in the 38’s if Quality was this week on a fully rubbered in track.

      1. I’ll go back to sleep… on instead of ‘of’ and Quality instead of Quali’

        1. It should be have rather than of

          1. …even worse, I’ll get my coat. lol

    9. how is the hrt faster then the lotus!! HOW!! even faster then the virgin…

      1. I think its more to do with the quality of drivers than the cars. Gonzalez and Arabadzhiev struugle to stay on pace in GP2 so its no surprise they are bottom of the timesheets.

    10. Fair play to Valsecchi, being able to lap within 5 seconds of the new lap record in the HRT isn’t too shabby.

    11. d’Ambrosio with a really impressive time! Unless Renault was the car no2 but its drivers are rubbish, this guy is a real beast.

    12. HounslowBusGarage
      17th November 2010, 23:35

      Windbag Warning.
      I think these two days of new driver tests are showing us the future nature of Formula 1.
      Becuase this sport is increasingly physical and because the increased speed of the cars requires faster and faster reflexes, drivers in peak physical condition are more and more important. Back in the 1950’s, there were gentlemen drivers in their fortie’s and champions in their fiftie’s. Over time that age has cdecreased as physical requirements have increased.
      Currently we have drivers ‘peaking’ in performance and success in their late twenties (Barrichelo and Schumacher etc being part of the previous generation). But for the future, I think that average will come down to younger and younger drivers with shorter F1 careers who either make it (Vettel) or don’t (Grosjean) in just a season or two.
      Soon perhaps, an F1 career will begin at 19 years and finish by 25, just like footballers.

    13. I can’t see PM’s name anywhere here! The pie wonders why?

    14. Keith,

      Any word on whether or not the cars are equipped with new engines? That also might help explain some of the stellar times these younguns are setting.

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