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Humphrey The Pug

F1 test drivers

What exactly is the role of the test driver now?

Ferrari have two, Luca Badoer and Marc Gene, you hear that they have had hardly or no running in the current F1 car so what exactly does their job now entail, it seems to me that they are a both just a couple of, probably fairly well paid, hangers on that don't actually do anything apart from having a jolly every couple of weeks?
"him"

Sounds great doesn't it?
Twelfth Monkey

I'd guess that they are called upon during the close season when testing is allowed, but I think the ban on testing is silly.  Teams always find a way of spending their money.
Dr. Hfuhruhurr

Until you have to do a race and everyone sees how poor you are.
Twelfth Monkey

Pitpass intimates than some pitlane wag has re-christened Luca Badoer as Look-how Bad-you-are.
DaveGibson

Twelfth Monkey wrote:
Pitpass intimates than some pitlane wag has re-christened Luca Badoer as Look-how Bad-you-are.

I think I beat you to that one, Simon.

http://themotor.myfastforum.org/sutra272223.php#272223
Humphrey The Pug

Apparantly Anthony Davidson has offered up his services to race in Spa for Ferrari, they need to watch their third place.

I'm really perplexed as to why Ferrari didn't give someone else a go, Piquet, Bourdais or one of the GP2 drivers, at least all of them would have been race ready.
Twelfth Monkey

Curses!
Eff One

Humphrey The Pug wrote:
Apparantly Anthony Davidson has offered up his services to race in Spa for Ferrari, they need to watch their third place.

I'm really perplexed as to why Ferrari didn't give someone else a go, Piquet, Bourdais or one of the GP2 drivers, at least all of them would have been race ready.


Yes, it seemed like a no-brainer to pick someone with recent race experience. Bourdais would have done a reasonable job, I think.

I was shocked at how slow Badoer was.
BeN

It looks like Badoer will have another shot though.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/10908...i-confirms-badoer-for-spa-weekend
the other ct

Of course it is very easy to be wise after the event but surely Gene would have done a better job.

I heard he won some race in France recently.

But then it was in a diesel Peugeot and he had help from other drivers so maybe not...
ALF

Twelfth Monkey wrote:
Pitpass intimates than some pitlane wag has re-christened Luca Badoer as Look-how Bad-you-are.


I think it could have been one Michael Schumacher, given the look on his face when Badoer pointlessly gave a position away in a "no, after you..." sort of way on the pit exit!
Humphrey The Pug

ALF wrote:
Twelfth Monkey wrote:
Pitpass intimates than some pitlane wag has re-christened Luca Badoer as Look-how Bad-you-are.


I think it could have been one Michael Schumacher, given the look on his face when Badoer pointlessly gave a position away in a "no, after you..." sort of way on the pit exit!


That one move really cemented to me that he was way out of his depth, then he went across the white line a few yards along!!
Sav

Eff One wrote:
Humphrey The Pug wrote:
Apparantly Anthony Davidson has offered up his services to race in Spa for Ferrari, they need to watch their third place.

I'm really perplexed as to why Ferrari didn't give someone else a go, Piquet, Bourdais or one of the GP2 drivers, at least all of them would have been race ready.


I was shocked at how slow Badoer was.


I'm not, he has not driven in a professional car race since 1999 and prior to the Valencia weekend, had not turned a wheel in the F60. He was always going to be slow, although he was an embarrassment for Ferrari - there was not much more he could do. I thought Ferrari would have called up Gene, who has actually been driving against other cars this year in sportscars, and has driven the F60.
simonp

He's not Italian, though, is he?  
Dr. Hfuhruhurr

I don't think that's ever been a criterion for Ferrari drivers. Apparently they're giving him another go at Spa anyway.
Mike Amos

They apparently had an offer fromDC who at least raced last year.  Would have got a few points for them at least.
Humphrey The Pug

I really do wonder why they went for Badoer.

Ferrari said that they wanted to reward him for his 10 years of testing services, that just seems too nice really as there would be noting in it for Ferrari and since when has F1 been all about looking after and rewarding someone?
Richard (ex-MB_insider)

Apparently Badoer's weekend finished with him running into the back of Sutil's Force India in parc ferme...
Pkh72

I like Anthony Davidson and he is great on Radio 5's commentary, he also did a reasonable job at Super Aguri but i don't get why his name always comes up for drives, what has he actually achieved in an F1 car?
A (not very close) friend of mine worked in the pit crew for that team and chatting to him at Uttoxeter races last year common consensus within the team appeared to be that Sato was a better all round bet.

Don't get me wrong though i'd like Davidson to get a chance to show what he could do but as of now he hasn't really done anything of note IMHO.
Dr. Hfuhruhurr

Richard (ex-MB_insider) wrote:
Apparently Badoer's weekend finished with him running into the back of Sutil's Force India in parc ferme...

But even Raikkonen isn't able to avoid running into Force Indias.
Eff One

Pkh72 wrote:
I like Anthony Davidson and he is great on Radio 5's commentary, he also did a reasonable job at Super Aguri but i don't get why his name always comes up for drives, what has he actually achieved in an F1 car?
A (not very close) friend of mine worked in the pit crew for that team and chatting to him at Uttoxeter races last year common consensus within the team appeared to be that Sato was a better all round bet.

Don't get me wrong though i'd like Davidson to get a chance to show what he could do but as of now he hasn't really done anything of note IMHO.


I don't think he's really had the chance, and was terribly unlucky a couple of times in 2007 - most notably in Montreal when a stray rodent robbed him of a giant-killing points haul. Sato finished 6th that day but Davidson was in front.

After a rocky start, Sato developed into a decent driver and I'd have expected him to have the upper hand in Davidson's debut season. I'd certainly like to see him have another go - he's definitely quick enough.
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