Ferrari get ready to simulate victory
FERRARI have hired ex-Formula One drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Brendon Hartley to help develop this season’s race car in the simulator.
The pair were among four simulator drivers named yesterday to work at the Italian team’s Maranello factory in support of racers Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc.
Wehrlein, who last year ended ties with Mercedes, drove for now-defunct Manor and Sauber in Formula One in 2016 and last year and the German is now racing for the Mahindra team in the all-electric Formula E series.
New Zealander Hartley, a twotimes world endurance champion, who won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Porsche in 2017, competed for Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso last year.
Italians Antonio Fuoco and Davide Rigon were the other two drivers appointed.
“Our team has taken on four undoubtedly talented drivers, who possess innate feeling, with a strong understanding of race cars and tracks,” said team principal Mattia Binotto in a statement.
“These are exactly the qualities required in the skilful role of driving in a simulator, one of the vital pieces of equipment in the Formula One of today.”
Russian Daniil Kvyat and Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, who performed simulator duties for Ferrari last year, are racing this season for Toro Rosso and Sauber, respectively.
The season starts in Australia on March 17.
Elsewhere, Red Bull will give a first glimpse of their new Hondapowered RB15 Formula One car next week on the same day that world champion Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes breaks cover at Silverstone.
Former champions Red Bull, who finished third overall behind champions Mercedes and Ferrari last year, have switched from Renault power units to Honda for the season starting in Australia on March 17.
They also have a changed line-up, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo now donning yellow Renault overalls and replaced by young Frenchman Pierre Gasly alongside Dutch driver Max Verstappen.
Verstappen, 21, won two races last year and will be hoping Honda provide a reliable and powerful engine after the manufacturer’s return to Formula One with McLaren ended in divorce at the end of 2017.
Honda supplied Red Bull’s junior team Toro Rosso last year.
Red Bull announced the February 13 date on the team’s Twitter feed, without details.
Mercedes have already said they will run their W10 car for the first time in a private shakedown session that day.
Racing Point, the team formerly known as Force India before being taken over by a Canadian consortium led by the billionaire father of racing driver Lance Stroll, will also present their new team branding in Toronto on that day.
Formula One starts pre-season testing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on February 18, which will be the first chance to see the new cars together on track.
The team launches kick off this week, with US-owned Haas first out with their new livery in London on Thursday before Toro Rosso on February 11.
Fourth-placed Renault show off their new car at their Enstone factory in central England on February 12, with McLaren removing the covers at Woking on February 14. Ferrari have an online reveal on February 15.
The first race of the season, the Australian GP, is on March 17 in Melbourne.
| Reuters