Busy day of testing for Toro Rosso and Coletti

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F1 Test, Young driver test, Yas Marina Circuitae

Today was the first of three days of testing referred to as the Young Driver Test at Abu Dhabi. Clearly, with no on-track testing until February once this session is over, for Scuderia Toro Rosso and all the other teams taking part, the test is also a very important chance to assess various elements aimed at the 2012 season. Sitting in the cockpit of our TR6 today was Stefano Coletti.

Laurent Mekies, Chief Engineer: “We had a very busy morning, in which we concentrated on acquiring aero measurement data, trying various ideas that might be useful for next year’s car. In the afternoon, we carried out a very comprehensive evaluation of the tyres Pirelli plans to use for next year. Stefano did a good job of trying the different specifications and comparing them to the current baseline we have from this year’s rubber. Overall, it was a good day’s work and Stefano tackled the task in a serious manner, delivering us with a trouble free performance that meant we completed plenty of laps, which is exactly what we wanted with a view to next year.”

Stefano Coletti: “This has been a very exciting day for me, as I finally got to drive a Formula 1 car for the first time. I found it an amazing experience, from the speed, the huge amount of downforce and the way the engine power pushes you along. Nothing I have driven so far in my career has come close to the feeling I got driving a Formula 1 car. At first, I found it hard to adapt to the feel of the power steering through the wheel, especially in the high speed corners, but once I got used to it, I could start to enjoy the experience even more. It was interesting testing the new tyres and it meant I was fortunate to run with several new sets, which is not normally the case.”