Welcome to my second column for Auto123.com! After being in Monza for the Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago, I headed straight to Vairano for my first straight-line test with Marussia Virgin Racing.
After that I was home briefly before travelling to France for last weekend’s penultimate round of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. I’m writing this column as I get ready to fly out to Singapore for the Grand Prix this weekend. I’ve mastered the art of packing and unpacking pretty quickly this season!
It was great to get some seat-time in the MVR-02 Formula One car in Italy. Okay, it was just in a straight-line but it’s all part of my F1 education and any opportunity to work with the team is a good one. It at least allowed me a ‘drivers eye’ view of the car in action and acclimatize myself a little more to those surroundings.
It’s not as exciting as a real test, that’s obvious, but straight-line testing – as unglamourous as it is, is really a necessary part of the team’s development program. From my perspective, it meant spending more time with the team, which is great. There were some guys from the design team there as well as the data engineers and race mechanics. There’s really not a lot of feedback for the driver to give in these situations but it felt good to be doing my bit.
After that I switched back to my Formula Renault 3.5 Series campaign as we were racing at Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France last weekend. It wasn’t the weekend I was expecting that’s for sure. It kicked off with ten points of my 34-point lead in the Driver Standings being eradicated even before we hit the track. Jean-Eric Vergne won his appeal against a time penalty he had been awarded at Monza back in May when he was bumped from first to third as a result.
To be honest I thought it had all been brushed aside but when I got to the track on Thursday I noticed he wasn’t around. I was then told he was in Rome at the appeal hearing. I found out the next morning, just before free practice, that he won. It certainly wasn’t easy to take, not least when you know you have a very good shot at clinching the championship. To then have your lead reduced like that, essentially through no fault of your own, was tough and I had to change my mindset heading into the event.
With a 34-point lead you can afford a bit of risk, you have enough in the bank to maybe allow a slight error for example, regardless of how many points your competitor scores. At 24 points we were immediately facing the situation of if I didn’t score and Vergne won a race, he’d retake the lead of the championship.
In the end I think I probably did approach the weekend a little too conservatively. The podium on Saturday was good but it was frustrating to end Sunday scoreless having been hit and forced to pit for a new tire running well in fifth. The gap is down to just two points between Jean-Eric and myself heading into the final round. I’m still ahead but it’s really a winner takes all scenario in Spain next month. That said, I can’t wait to get there and race to the end.
I’m off to Singapore now for the Grand Prix. I was the first person to drive a Formula One car in Singapore back in 2008 when I took part in a show run with Red Bull – that’s my little slice of F1 history!
Despite being in Asia we’re working to the GMT timetable so we don’t really change time zones as far as work is concerned. We’ll sleep during the day and be up through the night, leaving the track at 2am! It’s unique but I’m looking forward to being there with Marussia Virgin Racing.
Robert Wickens
@robertwickens
www.robertwickens.com
After that I was home briefly before travelling to France for last weekend’s penultimate round of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. I’m writing this column as I get ready to fly out to Singapore for the Grand Prix this weekend. I’ve mastered the art of packing and unpacking pretty quickly this season!
 |
| Photo: Marussia Virgin Racing |
It was great to get some seat-time in the MVR-02 Formula One car in Italy. Okay, it was just in a straight-line but it’s all part of my F1 education and any opportunity to work with the team is a good one. It at least allowed me a ‘drivers eye’ view of the car in action and acclimatize myself a little more to those surroundings.
It’s not as exciting as a real test, that’s obvious, but straight-line testing – as unglamourous as it is, is really a necessary part of the team’s development program. From my perspective, it meant spending more time with the team, which is great. There were some guys from the design team there as well as the data engineers and race mechanics. There’s really not a lot of feedback for the driver to give in these situations but it felt good to be doing my bit.
 |
| Photo: Marussia Virgin Racing |
After that I switched back to my Formula Renault 3.5 Series campaign as we were racing at Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France last weekend. It wasn’t the weekend I was expecting that’s for sure. It kicked off with ten points of my 34-point lead in the Driver Standings being eradicated even before we hit the track. Jean-Eric Vergne won his appeal against a time penalty he had been awarded at Monza back in May when he was bumped from first to third as a result.
To be honest I thought it had all been brushed aside but when I got to the track on Thursday I noticed he wasn’t around. I was then told he was in Rome at the appeal hearing. I found out the next morning, just before free practice, that he won. It certainly wasn’t easy to take, not least when you know you have a very good shot at clinching the championship. To then have your lead reduced like that, essentially through no fault of your own, was tough and I had to change my mindset heading into the event.
 |
| Photo: Renault Sport |
With a 34-point lead you can afford a bit of risk, you have enough in the bank to maybe allow a slight error for example, regardless of how many points your competitor scores. At 24 points we were immediately facing the situation of if I didn’t score and Vergne won a race, he’d retake the lead of the championship.
In the end I think I probably did approach the weekend a little too conservatively. The podium on Saturday was good but it was frustrating to end Sunday scoreless having been hit and forced to pit for a new tire running well in fifth. The gap is down to just two points between Jean-Eric and myself heading into the final round. I’m still ahead but it’s really a winner takes all scenario in Spain next month. That said, I can’t wait to get there and race to the end.
 |
| Photo: Renault Sport |
I’m off to Singapore now for the Grand Prix. I was the first person to drive a Formula One car in Singapore back in 2008 when I took part in a show run with Red Bull – that’s my little slice of F1 history!
Despite being in Asia we’re working to the GMT timetable so we don’t really change time zones as far as work is concerned. We’ll sleep during the day and be up through the night, leaving the track at 2am! It’s unique but I’m looking forward to being there with Marussia Virgin Racing.
Robert Wickens
@robertwickens
www.robertwickens.com