Daniel Ricciardo, the reserve driver and test pilot for Toro Rosso from West Australia, will not participate in the first round of the Formula Renault 3.5 championship in Spain, as he will take part in the Friday testing.
Having taken part in the Friday test session at Albert Park in Australia, Ricciardo will once again assume Friday Formula One testing responsibilities during the Asian rounds.
“I’ll be in the F1 car again for first practice in Malaysia in a couple of weeks, and then Shanghai again a few weeks later,” stated Daniel Ricciardo in an interview with UK motorsport magazine Autosport.
Missing a round in the series puts Ricciardo at a disadvantage in his quest to secure the competitive European title, for which he was the runner-up in 2010.
“Unfortunately that means that I’m going to miss the first Formula Renault 3.5 race in Spain,” Ricciardo expressed.
“It’s fantastic to get additional F1 time, and I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity, but this does mean I’ll have to put in extra effort to win the FR3.5 title this year!”
The choice made by the team to have Ricciardo drive on Fridays adds extra pressure on Jaime Alguesuari and Sebastien Buemi, especially after the two full-time drivers were surpassed by the 21-year-old during pre-season tests.
by Buford Balony