The official F1 young Driver test in Abu Dhabi has been a dedicated time for teams to actually suss out their junior drivers. Red Bull seem to have found a young man who needs little sussing. Red Bull Racing protege Daniel Ricciardo climbed tot he top of the time sheets with a 1:39.616 lap. A lap that would have had him third on the grid for last weekend’s season-ending race in Abu Dhabi. This would ahve placed him ahead of Red Bull’s Mark Webber and world champion Jenson button as well as Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. BBC has the story:
“I think I’m probably as ready as I can be,” said Ricciardo.
“We’ll try to do a few more long runs, maybe prepare more for a race situation to see how the body holds up.
“I think I’ve done quite a bit now in the junior categories and now this is my fourth proper day in an F1 car.”
That’s a mighty impressive pace for a young driver and makes you wonder if the Australian might find his way to Toro Rosso for 2011 for a season prior to moving to the Red Bull team when another Australian’s contract expires. The Toro Rosso development plan seemed to work for a German kid who happens to be world champion as of last Sunday.
