Jules Bianchi was fastest for a third day in a row, as the Magny-Cours F1 Young Driver test wrapped up today.
Bianchi drove the Ferrari on Tuesday and Thursday, and spent Wednesday with Force India.
Rain early in the morning upset the schedule for all three teams present at the former home of the French GP, although the track dried later on.
“In the morning, I did a few laps to get a feel for the car on the intermediate tires,” said Bianchi. “And even though there was not much grip, it was no bad thing to get some experience in the wet, after two days of dry testing. After a few hours, the track dried and we carried on with our program, centered mainly on aerodynamic measurement and set-up evaluation.
“I feel I learned a lot from this test, and I think the work was constructive for me and for the team. We tried to improve the balance of the car and looked at some things that could be useful in the upcoming races.”
Venezuelan GP driver Rodolfo Gonzalez was second fastest, after taking over the Force India that Bianchi drove yesterday. He has already tested for Lotus/Caterham on several occasions.
“Today has been a great experience,” he said. “The conditions were quite difficult to begin with, because of the wet start to the day. But it was good to try out the wet and intermediate tires. The other main task was getting used to the control systems and building my speed and feel for the car.
“I’m quite happy with my pace today, although I think there was more to come because it was my first time driving at Magny Cours, and my first time in the car. The team did a great job of making me feel welcome and comfortable, and I really hope to get another chance to drive a Formula One car soon.”
Meanwhile, Kiwi Brendon Hartley—dropped by Red Bull a few years ago—finally had another chance to sample F1 power when he drove the Mercedes W03. It was in large part an opportunity for him to get a good reference for his work in the Mercedes simulator.
“The track was quite wet this morning, so we lost some time, but once it had dried out,” said Hartley, “we were able to get on with the test program, using mainly the hard tire. It was a successful day for both me and the team, and we completed the program, despite the weather.
“I’m happy with my performance and pleased that it only took a couple of runs before I was on the pace, as it’s been three years since I last drove a Formula One car. I’m very grateful for the experience and really enjoyed working with the team today.”
