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Ricciardo to test Red Bull at Silverstone

Daniel Ricciardo appears to have taken a step closer to a Red Bull drive © Getty Images

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• Drivers:
• Daniel Ricciardo
• |
• Sebastian Vettel
• |
• Mark Webber

• Teams:
• Red Bull

Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo will test for Red Bull at this week's Young Driver Test as he moves one step closer to a race drive with the world champions next year.

Ricciardo will test in the afternoon of the first day of the test, which has been opened up to race drivers on the proviso they run programmes dedicated to tyres. 2013 race drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel will also get an afternoon in the car while Red Bull development drivers António Félix da Costa and Carlos Sainz Jr. will also take to the wheel of the Red Bull RB9.

The Young Driver Test regulations were changed earlier this month to allow drivers with more than two grands prix of experience to take part after Pirelli announced it would be testing a revised tyre structure set to be used from the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards . Ricciardo, Webber and Vettel will therefore have to run tests based upon a Pirelli run plan in order to conform with the new rules for the test.

Ricciardo's addition is significant as he is among the drivers being considered as Webber's replacement in 2014. He has got the nod to test for Red Bull ahead of Toro Rosso team-mate Jean -Eric Vergne, the strongest signal yet that he is the team's favoured candidate alongside Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen. Ricciardo will also complete an afternoon of testing for Toro Rosso on Thursday, while Vergne will only get one morning in the Toro Rosso.

Felix da Costa will test for Red Bull on Wednesday and Thursday morning and is among Red Bull's leading junior drivers outside of Formula One, currently competing in Formula Renault 3.5. Sainz Jr., son of rally legend Carlos Sainz, will get one morning in the RB9 on Friday but will also test for Toro Rosso earlier in the week. He currently races in GP3 and is ninth in the standings overall.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.