Razia and Cecotto to test for Toro Rosso in Abu Dhabi

2012 F1 season

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This year’s GP2 championship runner-up Luiz Razia will drive for Toro Rosso in the Young Drivers’ Test.

Johnny Cecotto Jnr will also have a chance to drive the STR7 in the three-day test.

Razia, who was beaten to the GP2 title by Davide Valsecchi, will drive for the team on two days at Yas Marina following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Razia has previously driven for Lotus during first practice at last year’s Chinese Grand Prix, and for Virgin in the 2010 Young Drivers’ Test. He tested for Force India at Magny-Cours earlier this year.

Cecotto will drive on the Wednesday of the test. The son of eighties F1 driver Johnny Cecotto finished ninth in GP2 this year.

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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 “Razia and Cecotto to test for Toro Rosso in Abu Dhabi”

  1. I would have expected Carlos Sainz Jr. to test for Toro Rosso instead of two drivers not related to the Red Bull junior programme. Perhaps Red Bull are broadening their search for young drivers if they anticipate Vettel and Webber to leave Red Bull for 2014, though it remains to be seen whether these two will do a much better job than Buemi and Alguersuari. Their records so far don’t have “the next Vettel” written all over them.

    More interesting for next year is whether Antonio Felix da Costa will drive for STR. His recent performances in Formula Renault 3.5 were so good they were shocking, so it will be interesting to see what he can do in the RB8. If he impresses, it could be that either Ricciardo or Vergne have to move over, even though both have put in solid performances so far, in my opinion.

    1. @adrianmorse Da Costa has got to be the top candidate for Toro Rosso to parachute in mid-way through 2013.

    2. I hope that Red Bull / Toro Rosso will give da Costa more time in the feeder series before throwing him in the lion’s nest that F1 is. After all, he’s only 21 and, unlike Vettel, he will have very restricted opportunities to test F1 cars before his first race(s). I would give him at least one more full season at FR 3.5 but maybe he should spend 2014 as well in GP2 or as an F1 test driver.

      1. William Brierty
        24th October 2012, 22:21

        Da Costa is not ready to “parachuted into F1”, because even though Da Costa has massive speed, he is lacking consistancy. Razia however, is the full package, and a far superior option to either Ricciardo or Jev.

        1. I agree with William. Although he’s been my champion of the second half of the FR3.5 season this year, his career isn’t stellar, like Vettel’s.

          1. I was talking about Da Costa… ;)

  2. Seems a little premature for Cecotto for me. He had some good races but also some rather ropey ones.

    Has Valsecchi got a test anywhere yet? I don’t expect he will get one to be honest but it would be absurd if the series winner didn’t get a test out of this.

    1. You can say that again! Bit dismayed to read that F1 teams are impressed with him already. I’d have expected a Williams test at some point, but not yet.

      I read on Twitter that Valsecchi’s testing a Lotus, as well as Edoardo Mortara. Haven’t seen anything official about either yet.

  3. Nice, now I hope to Razia get in Marussia or Caterham, unfortunatelly, Valsecchi probably wont get a seat next year.

    1. William Brierty
      24th October 2012, 22:24

      Every GP2 champion in history has at some point taken part in a Grand Prix, and with Valseechi’s previous links to the Caterham/Lotus team, I think he has already got one hand on Petrov’s seat.

  4. William Brierty
    24th October 2012, 22:30

    Oh dear STR, why Cecotto? Speed? Yes. Wet-weather master? Yes. Consistant? No. F1 worthy? No. You really don’t need another Sebastien Bourdais. Just fire Vergne, sign Razia, forget Cecotto and try and build a half decent car.

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