Adrian Sutil Confirmed At Force India For Barcelona Test

It has been confirmed that German driver Adrian Sutil will complete one day of testing with Force India at this weeks second pre-season test around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. This comes amid continued speculation as to who will eventually team-mate Paul di Resta at the Silverstone-based outfit.

With the new season quickly approaching, Force India remain the only team on the grid who have yet to officially confirm their full driver line-up. Currently only Scotsman Paul di Resta has been confirmed for the new season, with several drivers including Adrian Sutil, Jules Bianchi and even Narain Karthikeyan still within a chance of securing the final seat on the 2013 grid.

Once again Force India will test three different drivers during the four days of testing at Barcelona this week, with Paul di Resta scheduled to open the week with driving duties on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Briton will then hand the VJM06 over to former team-mate Adrian Sutil for Thursday before Frenchman Jules Bianchi once again brings proceedings to an end on Friday. With the absence of Narain Karthikeyan from Force India’s driving line-up, many perceive this week’s test as a “shoot-out” between Sutil and Bianchi as to who will eventually team-mate di Resta.

Adrian Sutil’s entire Formula 1 career was spent with the Silverstone-based outfit, which began when the team were then known as Spyker back in 2007. Once the team was rebranded as Force India, Sutil remained with the outfit until 2011 when he was replaced by Nico Hulkenberg following his altercation with Eric Lux, the Chief Executive of Genii Capital, at a nightclub in Shanghai. Should Sutil get the drive and complete his return to the sport, it’s undeniable that it will be his final chance to impress with a team eager to begin battling at the front.

Picture Copyright © Getty Images

Davide Valsecchi Focused On Third Driver Role With Lotus

Reigning GP2 Champion Davide Valsecchi has explained how he is fully focused on his new third driver role within the Lotus F1 team, as the Italian ace aims to begin his career in the world of Formula 1. In 2012, Valsecchi stormed to GP2 Championship supremacy with four wins and ten podium finishes.

After several highly successful seasons in the GP2 feeder series, which included both a GP2 and a GP2 Asia Championship, Davide Valsecchi has secured himself the third driver role within Lotus. This new role for the 26-year-old will see him work alongside Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, along with both Jerome D’Ambrosio and Nicolas Prost who will carry out reserve and development driver duties. Davide Valsecchi is aiming to fully focus on his work with Lotus throughout the 2013 season, in the hope that he can progress to a full-time drive in later years.

“I hope that this is a really good start to a career in Formula 1.” Explained Davide Valsecchi, who has previously tested for both HRT and Caterham (formerly Lotus). “Every day I will do the very best job that I can to give Lotus F1 Team the same passion and commitment that I showed last year. My last year in GP2 in 2012 was something I really focussed on, and in the end I succeeded. Now in Formula 1 my target will be a little different, but my focus to do the very best is still the same. I very much hope, step by step, to get into Formula 1 as a race driver and being here as third driver is as near as you can get. It’s a great opportunity here; if I do the best job I can this year then it will open up my chances for the future and we’ll see if I’m good enough.”

Many were understandably expecting Davide Valsecchi to secure himself a full-time drive in Formula 1 for the new season, with the Italian driver linked to numerous teams after being crowned Champion at Singapore. However, Valsecchi could well benefit greatly from his time at Lotus, as he aims to build upon his career in the dog-eat-dog world of Formula 1.

Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team

Jerome D’Ambrosio Still Aiming For A Full-Time Race Seat

Jerome D’Ambrosio is remaining focused on securing himself a full-time race seat in the future, as he prepares to once again play a pivotal role within the Lotus F1 team as their reserve driver. The Belgian driver took part in the Italian Grand Prix last season during Romain Grosjean’s one-race ban, eventually finishing 13th overall.

After making his Formula 1 debut with Marussia back in 2011, when the outfit was then known as Virgin Racing, the 27-year-old was replaced for the 2012 season by Frenchman Charles Pic. This saw D’Ambrosio become the Lotus reserve driver, alongside a completely new driving line-up at the Enstone-based outfit with Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.

The Belgian driver was an invaluable asset to the team throughout the course of the 2012 season, taking part in the Mugello test in May as well as standing in for the banned Romain Grosjean at the Italian Grand Prix. Although Jerome D’Ambrosio is fully committed to his work with the Enstone-based outfit, he is understandably eager to return to a full-time race seat in the near future, and he is hopeful that his time with Lotus will show future employers what he has to offer.

“I learned from last year that you need to be ready in order to step straight into a race seat, so my aim will be to keep focussed and be prepared!” Explained Jerome D’Ambrosio, when asked what his aims were for the season ahead. “Of course my ultimate aim is always to gain a race seat, however I know that by doing the best job I can here – and proving myself valuable to the team – I’m in a very good position should an opportunity arise.”

Jerome D’Ambrosio will be joined in his behind-the-scenes development and reserve driver duties at Lotus by reigning GP2 Champion Davide Valsecchi and Nicolas Prost in the forthcoming season, as the Enstone-based outfit aims for another competitive season at the top. The five drivers at the Enstone-based outfit share a combined total of one Formula 1 World Championship, two GP2 Championships, three GP2 Asia Championships, one Formula Master Championship and one Auto GP Championship between them. This alone shows just how strong the driver line-up is at Lotus.

Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team

Lotus Becomes First Team To Unveil 2013 Car

Lotus have become the first Formula 1 team to unveil their new 2013 car ahead of the new season, after the Enstone-based outfit took the covers off of their new E21 machine at their factory. The car will once again be driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, and features several modifications in comparison to their 2012 car.

After a relatively competitive 2012 season for the Enstone-based outfit, which included numerous podium finishes for both Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, including a sensational victory for the Finn at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lotus are understandably hopeful that their E21 machine can propel them to new heights this season.

The returning duo will be partnered by reigning GP2 Champion Davide Valsecchi, who becomes the team’s third driver after a successful 2012 season which culminated in GP2 Championship supremacy and a Young Driver Test outing with Lotus. The Enstone-based outfit have also retained both Jerome D’Ambrosio and Nicolas Prost, who will once again carry out reserve and development driver duties respectively in 2013.

“I think it is fair to say that great things are possible [in 2013].” Explained Lotus team principal, Eric Boullier. “The leap we made from 2011 to 2012 showed what we are capable of. Add to this the continuity and potential of our driver line-up and we have a very powerful cocktail for the season ahead. Our ambitious plan to turn ourselves into one of the top teams in Formula 1 is coming to fruition and now we need to harness this with strong and regular podium results.

“Enstone knows how to win Championships, but it is a while since we have won so we are very eager to taste glory again.” Continued Eric Boullier, “We have a fantastic facility at Enstone and one which has benefitted from significant and strategic investment over the past couple of years. We have a highly accomplished technical and design team who last year produced a fantastic car, the E20. The E21 builds on this. We have a superb driver line-up with the 2007 Champion, Kimi, and a hungry young gun in Romain. We have further strength in our partners and we are certainly primed and ready for action.”

Despite the teams’ being permitted to implement a modesty panel to hide the step-nose design at the front of the car, Lotus have elected against such a design and have retained the step-nose feature on their 2013 machine. Although the E21 may look similar to its E20 predecessor, several new features include the passive double-DRS device which the team developed throughout the latter half of last season as well as revised suspension layouts at both the front and the rear.

“Depending on where you look, some parts of the new car are a ground-up redesign and in other areas we have further optimized the best bits of the philosophy we’ve adopted for several seasons.” Explained the team’s technical director James Allison, when asked about the differences between the E20 and E21. “The front and rear suspension layouts are substantially revised to try and give us better aerodynamic opportunities. The front wing is a continuation of the concepts we have worked on since the 2009 rules were published. For the rear wing system, we’ve continued work on having a satisfactory level of rear downforce stability, whilst having a maximum DRS switching potential.”

Lotus were a prominent figure throughout the majority of the 2012 season, however for the 2013 season the Enstone-based outfit have intentions on battling with the likes of McLaren and Red Bull on a more regular basis at the sharp-end of the order. A minimum of 3rd place in the Constructors’ Championship is expected by the team’s owners, which would potentially see the team leapfrog either Red Bull, Ferrari or McLaren should their predictions for the forthcoming season come to fruition.

Picture(s) Copyright © Lotus F1 Team

Nico Hulkenberg Aiming To Continue His Competitiveness In 2013

Nico Hulkenberg is aiming to continue his competitiveness next season with Sauber, as the German driver prepares to lead the Hinwil-based outfit as they strive to emulate their results from the 2012 season. Throughout the year, Sauber finished on the podium three times with both drivers, however they failed to take their second race victory.

During the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix around Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit, Nico Hulkenberg led 30 laps for Force India after storming through the order in the early stages of the wet/dry race. The German looked on course for a superlative result, however two mistakes saw him eventually pick up a drive-thru penalty for a collision with Lewis Hamilton. However, Hulkenberg managed to finish 5th, a result he was overjoyed with.

With the season now over, Nico Hulkenberg is preparing for the next challenge of his Formula 1 career. After making his return to a full-time drive in 2012 with Force India, the German will switch teams once again for next season as the 25-year-old prepares to lead the Sauber F1 team alongside rookie and former GP3 Champion Esteban Gutierrez. Nico Hulkenberg is understandably eager to get his preparations underway, and is aiming for immediate competitiveness at Melbourne.

“That is the goal [to keep the momentum in 2013].” Explained Nico Hulkenberg, “As you say, there is no warm-up phase anymore, so I personally hope that I start performing right at the point where I finished at the end of 2012 – and that was a very promising point. I am changing teams so there will be a ‘getting to know each other’ phase but I am confident that this will go smoothly.”

Nico Hulkenberg will naturally be regarded as the lead driver at Sauber next season, with team-mate Esteban Gutierrez set to make his debut in the sport. Hulkenberg does not feel extra pressure at becoming a lead driver within a team, and feels his role will not differ greatly from the one which he held at Force India throughout the 2012 season.

“Yes, I feel ready for that.” Enthused Nico Hulkenberg, when asked whether he feels ready to lead the team. “It’s not a case of bringing extra pressure, it’s something that helps motivate me even more, but to be honest I don’t see my role as much different to the one I was in this year. I will simply concentrate on my job of trying to deliver good results.”

Nico Hulkenberg has shown on two occasions that he can battle at the sharp end of the order, firstly with Williams in 2010 and recently with Force India at the Brazilian Grand Prix. With Sauber clinching several podium finishes throughout the 2012 season, expect Nico Hulkenberg to become a regular figure on the rostrum in the coming years.

Picture Copyright © Getty Images

Valtteri Bottas Aiming To Make The Most Of His Opportunity With Williams

Valtteri Bottas is aiming to make the most of his opportunity with Williams next season, after the Finn was confirmed alongside Pastor Maldonado as the replacement for Bruno Senna. After partaking in fifteen practice sessions throughout the 2012 season, Bottas is confident he can excel in 2013.

The 23-year-old Finn joined Williams as the team’s reserve driver in 2010, a season before he clinched the GP3 Championship. Instead of progressing up the conventional motor sport ladder to the likes of GP2 or World Series by Renault for 2012, Valtteri Bottas spent the season out of of regular racing to focus solely on his role as the Williams reserve driver. This benefitted the Finn greatly, who replaced Bruno Senna fifteen times throughout the season during the opening practice session of the weekend.

Valtteri Bottas is understandably thrilled after receiving “promotion” within the Williams outfit, which is a dream come true for the Finn. Bottas started karting at the age of six, and has progressed from there to become Finland’s ninth Formula 1 driver, and only the second to race for Williams since Keke Rosberg.

“It feels incredible to be driving in Formula One next season and to be with a team like Williams, with all its pedigree, is even more special.” Explained Valtteri Bottas, “I’ve worked hard to get here ever since I started karting at six years old, but the real work starts now as I prepare myself for the biggest challenge of my career. The fact that I’ve been with Williams since 2010 will help a lot though because I know the engineers really well and have a good working relationship with them.”

With Valtteri Bottas set to return to a full-time drive next season, after a year as the Williams reserve driver, the Finn is simply aiming to make the most out of his debut season with the outfit. With Pastor Maldonado aiming for regular point finishes and podium appearances, Valtteri Bottas simply wants to look back upon his debut season and feel that he has improved as a driver.

“It’s difficult to set objectives before the season starts, so I’m just trying to make the most of this opportunity to prove the team has been right to promote me to a race seat.” Continued Valtteri Bottas, “I want to look back on 2013 and feel that I’ve improved as a driver and helped the team improve its performance on the track.”

Throughout the 2012 season, Valtteri Bottas replaced Bruno Senna during fifteen Friday practice sessions, gaining valuable track knowledge at venues such as Sepang, Shanghai, Suzuka and Abu Dhabi, circuits which GP3 do not visit during their seasons. This means Bottas will only have several venues to learn during his debut season, with the Finn visiting all but one of the European circuits with GP3 in 2011.

“This [his participation in fifteen practice sessions] will be a big help as it means there are only a handful of circuits on the 2013 calendar that I have never driven, in Australia, Monaco, Valencia, Austin and Singapore.” Said Valtteri Bottas, “There will still be a lot of work to do but it means that I do have some knowledge to work from heading to most races next season.”

Along with Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez, Valtteri Bottas will be the first former GP3 driver to start an official Formula 1 race next March when the lights go out at the start of the Australian Grand Prix. The Finn is already well established within the Williams outfit, and will be looking to build upon this throughout his debut season. If Williams start 2013 in a similar fashion to 2012, then both Maldonado and Bottas could be in for a very competitive 2013 season.

Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team

Williams Confirm Line-Up For 2013, Bottas In Senna Out

Williams have confirmed their 2013 driver line-up, which will see Pastor Maldonado compete in his third successive season with the outfit, however the Venezuelan driver will be joined next season by the team’s 2012 reserve driver Valtteri Bottas. This will see the 2011 GP3 Champion replace Bruno Senna at the team, ending strong speculation.

Speculation linking Valtteri Bottas to Bruno Senna’s seat with the Williams outfit began as far back as the first few races of the 2012 season, when the Finn replaced the Brazilian driver in the Malaysian and Chinese Grands Prix practice sessions on the Friday morning. The team then confirmed that this would take place at fifteen race weekends throughout the year, with Bottas set to replace Senna at each Friday morning practice  session.

Pastor Maldonado has unsurprisingly been retained by the Grove-based outfit, with the Venezuelan driver taking an illustrious victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in May and also because of his strong financial backing from Venezuelan petroleum company PDVSA. The 27-year-old is thrilled with the confirmation he will race for the team in 2013, and is hopeful that the season will bring further success to himself and the outfit.

“I’m really enjoying my time with Williams and I was obviously very happy when I was told that I would be continuing with the team in 2013.” Explained Pastor Maldonado, who ended the season with 45 points scored. “2012 was a memorable year for me with the win in Barcelona and we made a big step forward in terms of performance. I have a lot of confidence in the team and hopefully next year will see us move even further up the grid and taste more success.’’

Valtteri Bottas will become the ninth Finnish Formula 1 driver in the history of the sport, and will join Kimi Raikkonen on the grid for 2013. It is still unconfirmed whether or not Heikki Kovalainen will make it three Finn’s on the grid next season, as he continues to negotiate with Caterham. 23-year-old Bottas has explained it has always been a life-long dream to compete in Formula 1, and that he is understandably itching to get the 2013 season started.

“It has always been my life-long dream to compete in the Formula One World Championship.” Enthused Valtteri Bottas, who will replace Bruno Senna. “To do so with one of the most legendary teams in the sport is incredibly special. I’ve really enjoyed my three years with Williams so far and feel very at home here so my goal was always to stay for 2013 and progress to a race seat. I’m looking forward to getting my Formula One career started and enjoying a lot of success with Williams.’’

Bruno Senna’s hopes of finding a drive for 2013 now lies solely with Force India or Caterham, with both outfits still housing vacant seats for next season. Max Chilton has been strongly linked with the vacancy at Marussia, with HRT looking unlikely to even be on the 2013 grid. However, strong competition from the likes of Jaime Alguersuari, Heikki Kovalainen, Vitaly Petrov and Paul di Resta amongst others will make clinching a drive at Force India or Caterham exceedingly difficult.

Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team

2012 Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test Preview

Only several days after a surprisingly enthralling Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, six Formula 1 teams are now preparing to carry out their Young Driver Test programmes around the Yas Marina circuit. Both Red Bull, McLaren, Lotus, Sauber, Toro Rosso and Caterham will be fielding young drivers from both GP2, GP3 and the World Series by Renault.

Unlike previous years, several teams elected to carry out their respective Young Driver Test programmes earlier in the year at varying venues in Europe. Williams, Marussia and HRT carried out their programmes at Silverstone back in July, whereas Ferrari, Mercedes and Force India carried out theirs back in September at the Magny-Cours circuit in France. However, the majority of the grid have decided to remain true to tradition, and carry out their programmes at the Yas Marina circuit.

Reigning Constructors’ Champions Red Bull will be fielding GP3 star Antonio Felix da Costa, who took three victories this season, and newly-crowned World Series by Renault Champion Robin Frijns. Antonio Felix da Costa will drive on the opening two days of the test, with Dutchman Frijns taking over for the third and final day of testing. McLaren will be running three drivers throughout the test, one for each day. This will include current test and reserve drivers’ Oliver Turvey and Gary Paffett, along with current World Series by Renault driver Kevin Magnussen, son of former F1 driver Jan.

Lotus will also run three drivers on each of the separate days of testing, only several days after clinching their first victory of the season, and the Lotus’s first since the 1987 Detroit Grand Prix. The Enstone-based outfit features a mouth-watering line-up, including Nicolas Prost, son of former multiple-F1 Champion Alain Prost, along with newly-crowned GP2 Champion Davide Valsecchi and current DTM star Edoardo Mortara.

Sauber will be extensively running reserve driver and current GP2 race winner Esteban Gutierrez, as the Mexican driver aims to capitalize on his run during opening practice at India. With many linking Gutierrez to the vacant seat at Sauber next season alongside Nico Hulkenberg, the Mexican will understandably be eager to impress during his two days of testing. However, Robin Frijns will open test with Sauber, before switching to Red Bull for the final day on Thursday.

Toro Rosso will feature an all-GP2 line-up for the three days of testing, including 2012 runner-up Luiz Razia, who previously tested for Force India at their Magny-Cours Young Driver Test in September. The Brazilian driver will take to the track on both Tuesday and Thursday, with Venezuelan GP2 driver Johnny Cecotto jr. set to get behind the wheel of the STR7 on Wednesday.

Caterham will also be running only two drivers during their programme, which will feature current GP2 and reserve driver Giedo van der Garde and World Series by Renault driver Alexander Rossi. Both have driven for the Caterham F1 team during Friday practice this season, and both will be unarguably out to impress with Caterham still undecided on their driving line-up for next season.

List of participating drivers:

Red Bull:

Antonio Felix da Costa (Tuesday, Wednesday)

Robin Frijns (Thursday)

McLaren:

Gary Paffett (TBA)

Oliver Turvey (TBA)

Kevin Magnussen (TBA)

Lotus:

Nicolas Prost (Tuesday)

Edoardo Mortara (Wednesday)

Davide Valsecchi (Thursday)

Sauber:

Robin Frijns (Tuesday)

Esteban Gutierrez (Wednesday, Thursday)

Toro Rosso:

Luiz Razia (Tuesday, Thursday

Johnny Cecotto jr. (Wednesday)

Caterham:

Giedo van der Garde (Tuesday, Wednesday)

Alexander Rossi (Thursday)

Picture Copyright © Pirelli

Van Der Garde Enjoys Another Productive Morning With Caterham

Giedo van der Garde enjoyed another productive morning practice session behind the wheel of the Caterham CT01 at the Buddh International Circuit, as the Dutchman completed his fourth outing with the Leafield-based outfit. He eventually finished the first session 19th overall, ahead of fellow GP2 competitor Esteban Gutierrez in the Sauber.

Giedo van der Garde replaced Heikki Kovalainen behind the wheel for the opening practice session of the weekend, joining fellow reserve drivers up and down the grid in receiving valuable track time in Formula 1 machinery. With the 27-year-old Dutchman strongly linked to several teams for 2013, the Friday practice sessions offer him a tremendous opportunity to showcase his skill in an F1 car.

After finishing the session 19th, just behind team-mate Vitaly Petrov and ahead of fellow GP2 rival Esteban Gutierrez, Giedo van der Garde dedicated his running throughout the 90 minute session to his Grandfather, who sadly passed away last week. The Dutchman was able to quickly learn the still relatively new Buddh International Circuit, and completed the session’s program without any issues.

“It was another good session for me today and one I want to dedicate to my Grandpa who sadly passed away last week.” Explained Giedo van der Garde, “I know he’s always been very proud of me and he told me to enjoy myself whenever I’m driving, so I made sure I did today. The circuit is pretty technical but I was up to speed quickly and didn’t have any problems getting through the plan we were running today. One thing that was really obvious was just how much the track evolves – even on my first run I could feel the grip levels improving with every lap, so by Sunday it will probably feel very different, but for me in FP1 it was fine.”

After a very successful season in GP2 with Caterham, Giedo van der Garde has since returned to his reserve driver duties within the Formula 1 outfit and has partaken at every Friday practice session since the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Next weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Giedo van der Garde will once again return behind the wheel for the opening practice session Friday.

“I’ll be back in the car again next week in Abu Dhabi at a track I know well, and then I have two full days at the Yas Marina Circuit in the young driver test.” Confirmed Giedo van der Garde, “It’s good to keep adding to the mileage I’ve already done this year and I’m really pleased with how much progress I’m making with the car and the team in general.”

With neither Heikki Kovalainen or Vitaly Petrov currently confirmed for next season at Caterham, speculation continues to gather momentum that Giedo van der Garde could well be in the mix to receive a ‘promotion’ within the team to a full-time drive. However, with other drivers such as Bruno Senna and Charles Pic in the equation as well, the Dutchman will have to continue impressing on the Friday mornings in the hope of receiving that full-time drive he is after.

Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team

Giedo van der Garde To Get Fourth Outing At India

Caterham’s reserve driver, Giedo van der Garde, is set to receive his fourth practice outing for the team at this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix, once again during the opening practice session of the weekend on Friday morning. The Dutchman will replace Heikki Kovalainen, who will naturally return to driving duties later in the afternoon.

After enjoying a rather successful year in GP2 throughout the 2012 season, Giedo van der Garde has since returned to his reserve driver duties at Caterham alongside regular drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov. Like many reserve drivers on the grid, van der Garde has recently begun partaking in the opening practice session of the weekend alongside the likes of Dani Clos for HRT and Valtteri Bottas for Williams.

The 27-year-old Dutchman has partaken in the last two Friday practice sessions for Caterham, with this weekend set to be his third consecutive outing with the team. Like with the Korea International Circuit last time out, the Buddh International Circuit is another new venue for the Dutchman who is quickly become accustomed to driving F1 machinery on a regular basis.

“With each session I’m doing I’m getting more comfortable with the car and the team and the feedback I’m getting from the engineers is good, so India’s another chance to build on that.” Explained Giedo van der Garde, ahead of his third consecutive outing with the team. “It’s another new track for me but one that looks cool on my simulator, and the other drivers have told me it’s better than quite a few of the stop / start type of tracks so I’m looking forward to getting back out on track.”

Giedo van der Garde has been linked to several teams on the grid for next season, including Caterham and HRT. After a superlative display of racing during GP2 this season, which saw the Dutchman win at both Spain and Singapore, he has made it clear he is more than capable of “graduating” up to the dizzy heights of Formula 1.

Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team