- Young Driver Test
Young Driver Test line-up
- Drivers:
- Jules Bianchi
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- Sam Bird
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- Valtteri Bottas
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- Kevin Ceccon
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- Johnny Cecotto
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- Daniel Clos
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- Stefano Coletti
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- Esteban Gutiérrez
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- Fabio Leimer
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- Charles Pic
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- Oliver Turvey
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- Jean-Éric Vergne
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- Robert Wickens
Formula One's Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi will provide the teams with an opportunity to assess emerging talent as well as carry out preparations for the 2012 season.
Continuity is the aim for the leading four teams, with Red Bull running Jean-Eric Vergne on all three days, Ferrari doing the same with Jules Bianchi and Mercedes also sticking with just one driver in the shape of Sam Bird. At McLaren, it's the same two as last year's test as Oliver Turvey joins test driver Gary Paffett.
Track time is harder to come by with the rest of the teams though, with some running a driver a day throughout the three-day test. Renault has Robert Wickens in the R31 on Tuesday, followed by Kevin Korjus on Wednesday and Jan Charouz on Thursday. At Force India it's Max Chilton in the car on Tuesday and Thursday, either side of Johnny Cecotto Jr's spell on Wednesday, while Sauber is running Fabio Leimer on day one before turning to third driver Esteban Gutierrez for the remaining two days.
At Toro Rosso Stefano Coletti opens the test, while Kevin Ceccon will drive the car on Wednesday before duties are shared between the two on the final day. Williams will run Valtteri Bottas for the first two days before rewarding F2 champion Mirko Bortolotti with a drive on Thursday. Lotus is another team to run three drivers, with Rodolfo Gonzalez on day one being followed by Luiz Razia and Alexander Rossi.
Dani Clos will drive for HRT on Tuesday, with Jan Charouz driving on Wednesday morning before handing over the car to Nathanael Berthon on Wednesday and Thursday. And at Virgin, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs will drive on the first morning after being the best placed driver from its GP3 team, before Charles Pic takes over for the afternoon and Wednsesday's running, with Wickens moving across from Renault to close out the test.