BARCELONA
HONDA YOUNG DRIVER PROGRAMME
The Honda Young Driver Programme ran GP2 drivers Andi Zuber,
Luca Filippi and Mike Conway at the Circuit de Catalunya in
Barcelona this week. As part of the team's commitment to the
development of young motorsport talent, each driver had the
opportunity to drive the Honda race car for one day as the
team took a closer look at their potential to assist with
future testing requirements.
Andi Zuber was first up on Tuesday for his first drive in
a Formula One car. The 24 year old Austrian completed 77 laps
over the course of the day, with the programme focused on
acclimatisation to the car and controls with a combination
of long runs and short qualifying simulations.
Luca Filippi took over the car on Wednesday. Luca, 22, was
taking part in his first full F1 test after a short run-out
with Minardi in 2005. He spent his early laps getting used
to the car, then followed a similar programme to Andi in the
afternoon, on a much improved track, completing 72 laps.
Mike Conway, 24, had his opportunity in the car on Thursday.
Mike has been part of the Honda Young Driver Programme since
March 2007 and previously assisted the team with straightline
aerodynamic testing. After a very cold start to the morning,
Mike worked through the planned programme and completed 72
laps of running on a day much interrupted by circuit red lights.
Andi Zuber
"It was a completely new experience for me to drive the
Honda Formula One car this week and very different to the
GP2 car over the last two seasons. The car is so much more
advanced in terms of aerodynamics, power and the braking.
You could really feel the difference in the quick corners
where you are right on the limit. There was a lot to learn
about the electronics and the start procedure, and also getting
used to power steering which makes the car feel so light.
At the end of the day, I was happy with what I achieved and
I hope that the team were satisfied with my performance. This
has been a great opportunity for me and I would like to thank
the Honda team for that."
Luca Filippi
"I had a great day on Wednesday and for sure it was one
of the best days of my life. Over the day, I had time to learn
the car and the circuit and I could feel the improvements
coming by the end of running. The car was quite a challenge
to drive, particularly without the traction control, but we
made some changes on the car and found a good set-up so I
was very happy with that. This was a great opportunity for
a manufacturer team to give to young drivers and I am very
grateful for that. The team were very professional and put
no pressure on which was important, particularly at the beginning
of the day. I look forward to the chance to drive again"
Mike Conway
"I had a really good day today. I settled into the car
quickly and felt comfortable with the seat and the positioning
which was good as it enabled us to concentrate on finding
time right from the start. I felt that we were able to make
progress throughout the day and found some good time when
we ran with new tyres. I would like to say a big thank you
to everyone at Honda for a great day and I hope there is more
to come in the future."
Ron Meadows - Sporting Director
"We have been very impressed with Andi, Luca and Mike
this week. Their enthusiasm and willingness to learn should
be commended, as should their performance on track. It is
never easy for a young driver when sharing a test session
with established Formula One names but they have coped extremely
well with what must be a daunting experience. The engineers
report that their feedback is excellent which shows what a
good series GP2 is as a proving ground for Formula One. Based
on the performance of all three drivers in Barcelona this
week, we intend to run Andi, Luca and Mike again at the Jerez
test in December to give them a further opportunity in the
car and enable us to continue to evaluate their performance
and development."
TEST STATS (All timings are unofficial)
Drivers Tuesday 13 November Wednesday 14 November
Thursday 15 November
Andi Zuber 77 laps 01:24.065 -
-
Luca Filippi - 72 laps 01:23.596
-
Mike Conway - -
72 laps 01:23.729
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