From formula1.com
With the teams barely having had time to breathe following Sunday’s season finale, Tuesday saw the start of a two-day young driver test at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit. This will be followed by a two-day Pirelli tire test at the track, starting on Friday.
For the young driver test teams may field any driver who has not competed in more than two Grands Prix, but for many this week it will be their first taste of F1 power.
The provisional line-up can be found below.
Red Bull
Daniel Ricciardo, 21, Australian
(Red Bull reserve driver, 2009 British Formula 3 champion)
McLaren
Gary Paffett, 29, British
(McLaren reserve driver, 2005 DTM champion)
Oliver Turvey, 23, British
(2008 British Formula 3 runner-up)
Ferrari
Jules Bianchi, 21, French
(Ferrari 2011 test driver, 2009 Formula 3 Euroseries champion)
Mercedes GP
Sam Bird, 23, British
(2010 GP2 series - fifth place)
Renault
Jerome D’Ambrosio, 24, Belgian
(Four Friday F1 sessions in 2010 with Virgin, 2007 Formula Master champion)
Mikhail Aleshin, 23, Russian
(2010 World Series by Renault champion)
Williams
Pastor Maldonado, 25, Venezuelan
(2010 GP2 Series champion)
Dean Stoneman, 20, British
(2010 FIA Formula 2 champion)
Force India
Yelmer Buurman, 23, Dutch
(2006 British Formula 3 - fourth)
Antonio Felix da Costa, 19, Portuguese
(2009 Formula Renault 2.0 champion)
Paul di Resta, 24, British
(Force India reserve driver, 2006 Formula 3 Euroseries champion)
Sauber
Esteban Gutierrez, 19, Mexican
(2010 GP3 Series champion)
Sergio Perez, 20, Mexican
(BMW Sauber 2011 race driver, 2010 GP2 Series runner-up)
Toro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne, 20, French
(2010 British International Formula 3 champion)
Lotus
Vladimir Arabadzhiev, 26, Bulgarian
(2008 Formula Master Italia champion)
Rodolfo Gonzalez, 24, Venezuelan
(2006 British National Formula 3 champion)
Virgin
Jerome D’Ambrosio, 24, Belgian
(Four Friday F1 sessions in 2010 with Virgin, 2007 Formula Master champion)
Luiz Razia, 20, Brazilian
(Virgin reserve driver, 2006 South American Formula 3 champion)
Rio Haryanto, 17, Indonesian
(2009 Formula BMW Pacific champion)
Hispania Racing Team
Pastor Maldonado, 25, Venezuelan
(2010 GP2 Series champion)
Josef Kral, 20, Czech
(2007 Formula BMW series runner-up)
Davide Valsecchi, 23, Italian
(2010 GP2 Asia Series champion)
With the teams barely having had time to breathe following Sunday’s season finale, Tuesday saw the start of a two-day young driver test at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit. This will be followed by a two-day Pirelli tire test at the track, starting on Friday.
For the young driver test teams may field any driver who has not competed in more than two Grands Prix, but for many this week it will be their first taste of F1 power.
The provisional line-up can be found below.
Red Bull
Daniel Ricciardo, 21, Australian
(Red Bull reserve driver, 2009 British Formula 3 champion)
McLaren
Gary Paffett, 29, British
(McLaren reserve driver, 2005 DTM champion)
Oliver Turvey, 23, British
(2008 British Formula 3 runner-up)
Ferrari
Jules Bianchi, 21, French
(Ferrari 2011 test driver, 2009 Formula 3 Euroseries champion)
Mercedes GP
Sam Bird, 23, British
(2010 GP2 series - fifth place)
Renault
Jerome D’Ambrosio, 24, Belgian
(Four Friday F1 sessions in 2010 with Virgin, 2007 Formula Master champion)
Mikhail Aleshin, 23, Russian
(2010 World Series by Renault champion)
Williams
Pastor Maldonado, 25, Venezuelan
(2010 GP2 Series champion)
Dean Stoneman, 20, British
(2010 FIA Formula 2 champion)
Force India
Yelmer Buurman, 23, Dutch
(2006 British Formula 3 - fourth)
Antonio Felix da Costa, 19, Portuguese
(2009 Formula Renault 2.0 champion)
Paul di Resta, 24, British
(Force India reserve driver, 2006 Formula 3 Euroseries champion)
Sauber
Esteban Gutierrez, 19, Mexican
(2010 GP3 Series champion)
Sergio Perez, 20, Mexican
(BMW Sauber 2011 race driver, 2010 GP2 Series runner-up)
Toro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne, 20, French
(2010 British International Formula 3 champion)
Lotus
Vladimir Arabadzhiev, 26, Bulgarian
(2008 Formula Master Italia champion)
Rodolfo Gonzalez, 24, Venezuelan
(2006 British National Formula 3 champion)
Virgin
Jerome D’Ambrosio, 24, Belgian
(Four Friday F1 sessions in 2010 with Virgin, 2007 Formula Master champion)
Luiz Razia, 20, Brazilian
(Virgin reserve driver, 2006 South American Formula 3 champion)
Rio Haryanto, 17, Indonesian
(2009 Formula BMW Pacific champion)
Hispania Racing Team
Pastor Maldonado, 25, Venezuelan
(2010 GP2 Series champion)
Josef Kral, 20, Czech
(2007 Formula BMW series runner-up)
Davide Valsecchi, 23, Italian
(2010 GP2 Asia Series champion)