• Jerez Test Day Four

Senna keen to stress he was not on trial

ESPNF1 Staff
February 13, 2011 « Barrichello finishes quickest at Jerez | »
Bruno Senna recovers from a spin in the morning session © Sutton Images
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Bruno Senna finally got his chance to show what he could do in the Renault amid ongoing speculation as to who would be chosen as replacement for the injured Robert Kubica.

Inevitably, the pressure was increased by the excellent performance from Nick Heidfeld on Saturday, but as the teams packed up and headed to Barcelona for tests starting on Friday, Renault was still keeping its cards close to its chest.

Senna was one of the first out in the morning, and during the afternoon he was able to set the fifth-fastest time of the day. But he was at pains to stress he was not being tested as much as the car.

"It wasn't a trial," he told Autosport. "Considering that I've only been here for three weeks it's a great shot for getting some experience with the car and the team. The team knows what they need and it's up to them what they do.

"It's not up to me. I only had one day in the car and it was good. But for preparation you need much more than that and they need a driver that's ready to do it."

He was full of praise for the new Renault. "It's a very good car," he said. "They've made a very competitive car. There's plenty of development work to be done. There's plenty of potential in the car still to be unlocked.

Almost inevitably, the last question was whether he would be given another chance to press his claims to be given a race seat. "I don't know," he admitted. "That's up to the team."

Times

Driver Car Time Laps
1. Rubens Barrichello Williams FW33 1:19.832 103
2. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber C30 1:20.601 86
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari F150 1:21.074 115
4. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso STR6 1:21.213 90
5. Bruno Senna Renault R31 1:21.400 68
6. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus T128 1:21.632 43
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes WO2 1:22.103 45
8. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull RB7 1:22.222 90
9. Jenson Button McLaren MP4-26 1:22.278 70
10. Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin MVR-02 1:22.985 45
11. Paul di Resta Force India VJM-04 1:23.111 99

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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