Adapted from press release
As Canada Day gifts go, Robert Wickens undoubtedly received one of the best for a racing driver.
The 22-year-old Toronto racer sampled a Lotus Renault GP R30 Formula One car at the Hungaroring in Hungary on Friday – his prize from the ‘World Series by Renault’ for leading the 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 Series at the half-way stage of the season.
Robert Wickens, who was last month unveiled as an official F1 reserve driver for the Marussia Virgin Racing team, sampled several laps behind the wheel of the R30 during the scheduled thirty-minute session at the Hungarian Grand Prix circuit.
While Robert Wickens has driven a Formula One car previously in street demonstrations, Friday’s outing marked the first time the Marussia Motors-backed driver has been unleashed on an actual racing circuit in an F1 car.
Having enjoyed Friday’s F1 test session, the Canadian will be back in action with the Lotus Renault GP on Saturday for another public demonstration run.
“It was great to get another go in a Formula One car,” stated Robert Wickens following his outing. "I’d like to thank Lotus Renault GP and the ‘World Series by Renault’ for the opportunity to drive the R30 this weekend. Conditions were a little mixed for the run. I started out on wet tires as the track was slippery but we quickly put dry tires on, though it was still damp, and I was able to pound around and get a few laps under my belt."
With two wins and six podiums to-date, Robert Wickens, who was last season’s GP3 Series Runner-up, is sure to build on that record as he targets his first European open-wheel racing title. A pair of pole positions underlined the Canadian’s dominance as he stormed to a 30-point advantage in the Driver Standings over Estonia’s Kevin Korjus (132-102).
As Canada Day gifts go, Robert Wickens undoubtedly received one of the best for a racing driver.
The 22-year-old Toronto racer sampled a Lotus Renault GP R30 Formula One car at the Hungaroring in Hungary on Friday – his prize from the ‘World Series by Renault’ for leading the 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 Series at the half-way stage of the season.
Robert Wickens, who was last month unveiled as an official F1 reserve driver for the Marussia Virgin Racing team, sampled several laps behind the wheel of the R30 during the scheduled thirty-minute session at the Hungarian Grand Prix circuit.
While Robert Wickens has driven a Formula One car previously in street demonstrations, Friday’s outing marked the first time the Marussia Motors-backed driver has been unleashed on an actual racing circuit in an F1 car.
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| Canada’s Robert Wickens samples the Lotus Renault GP R30 – Photo: Paulo Pellegrini |
Having enjoyed Friday’s F1 test session, the Canadian will be back in action with the Lotus Renault GP on Saturday for another public demonstration run.
“It was great to get another go in a Formula One car,” stated Robert Wickens following his outing. "I’d like to thank Lotus Renault GP and the ‘World Series by Renault’ for the opportunity to drive the R30 this weekend. Conditions were a little mixed for the run. I started out on wet tires as the track was slippery but we quickly put dry tires on, though it was still damp, and I was able to pound around and get a few laps under my belt."
With two wins and six podiums to-date, Robert Wickens, who was last season’s GP3 Series Runner-up, is sure to build on that record as he targets his first European open-wheel racing title. A pair of pole positions underlined the Canadian’s dominance as he stormed to a 30-point advantage in the Driver Standings over Estonia’s Kevin Korjus (132-102).