Grosjean Wanted YDT Opportunity

Following the intensive restrictions Pirelli placed upon the race drivers at last weeks Young Drivers Test, the majority of teams opted to allow their young stars all important track time. Lotus were one of these teams, with Nicolas Prost running two of the three test days, with GP2 reigning champion Davide Valsecchi putting the car through its paces on Thursday. Neither Kimi Raikkonen or Romain Grosjean received track time; A decision which has left the latter disgruntled.

Young Drivers Test: Day 3

The third and final day of the Young Drivers Test was certainly an interesting one. Championship leader Sebastian Vettel was on show this afternoon and made the most of his time on track, claiming the top spot on the timesheet. Meanwhile, Williams development driver Susie Wolff stole the headlines as she took part in her first timed Formula One test; the first women to achieve this since 1992.

Young Drivers Test: Day 2

Day 2 of the YDT at Silverstone centered around Daniel Ricciardo, who completed a full days running driving for Toro Rosso in the morning and making his Red Bull debut in the afternoon. His personal best time set in the morning was good enough for the fastest time of the day, while the afternoon failed to progress quite as smoothly as he would have hoped. The Aussie suffered an auspicious start to his stint on lap 7, when he made an unexpected excursion to the gravel trap at Luffield. Over-exuberance perhaps, yet Ricciardo recovered to complete 59 laps in total throughout the afternoon.

Young Drivers Test: Day 1

As Britain experiences the longest prolonged warm spell since 2006, Silverstone welcomed an excellent turn-out today for the first of three days of the Young Drivers Test. While the emphasis has been taken away from the youngsters in the wake of the test becoming a Pirelli tyre test, their was still an array of young blood on show throughout the day. McLaren youngster Kevin Magnussen made the most of his track time and recorded the fastest time of the day, following up his timesheet topping first day of last years YDT at Abu Dhabi. Kevin is certainly making a name for himself.

As with any test, times are somewhat irrelevant. Particularly in the case of young drivers, consistency and feedback are the key attributes which are being observed. This is even more poignant, considering that the teams are desperately looking to obtain vital information regarding the new tyres ahead of Hungary, while being restricted to Pirelli's programme.

Tyre Testing Finally Approved

Following 'Test-Gate' many respected members of the paddock have been calling for official Pirelli tyre tests to create more coherent and transparent testing arrangements. Following yesterday's drama at Silverstone, Bernie Ecclestone has announced that Pirelli will be permitted to conduct two more tyre tests, which will involve all of the teams. In addition to this, the forthcoming Young Drivers Test has been converted into a tyre test, as the FIA look to distinguish the German GP boycott threats which arose this morning.

Mercedes Claim YDT Penalty Pain

With Ferrari and Red Bull downplaying the importance of the Young Drivers Test, Ross Brawn has emphasized that Mercedes' exclusion from the test is more of a disadvantage than was first perceived. The supposedly lenient sanction was dealt to Mercedes by the FIA following their role within the 'Test-Gate' saga, while several teams deemed the penalty to be merely cosmetic; They claimed that Mercedes still possessed an unfair advantage.
In many regards, both Ferrari and Red Bull have a right to feel frustrated. While the YDT is an important date on the calender, the event is more poignant to the drivers as oppose to the teams. Over the three days, teams will experiment with alternative packages, yet they will not be able to evaluate changes with great detail as the young drivers do not have the experience required to supply succinct feedback.

Red Bull Test Threat

A disgruntled Red Bull Racing have supposedly threatened to rebel against the FIA, following Mercedes' lenient sanction from the 'Test Gate' saga. Reports released yesterday suggested that the team were threatening to run their own private test, while withdrawing from the Young Driver's Test, in a direct challenge to the authority of the FIA.
According to newspapers released yesterday morning, both Ferrari and Red Bull were considering a boycott of the upcoming Young Drivers Test at Silverstone, after they were both displeased at the minor penalty which Mercedes were given for their part in Pirelli's tyre test. Apparently, the two teams spoke with Bernie Ecclestone, highlighting their grievances and suggesting that 'they would take the risk of a reprimand - the punishment meted out to Mercedes - for the benefit of three days of testing.'

Tyre Test Gate: The Verdict

Following a tense day in front of the International Tribunal, both Mercedes and Pirelli anxiously prepared to discover their fate. Day 1 went as well as could be expected for Mercedes, while Pirelli had suffered a reputation damaging affair. The verdict brought results which had been somewhat anticipated - Mercedes have been excluded from the forthcoming Young Drivers Test at Silverstone and Pirelli have been reprimanded for instigating a test which contravened the regulations. However, many will feel that the penalty does not reflect the severity of the crime.