The Fruit of Knowledge
Posts tagged test driver
James Bond’s stunt driver
Oct 24th
Ben Collins, once Top Gear’s test driver and now Skyfall’s action man, describes life on a 007 set.
Official: Williams signs female test driver Susie Wolff
Apr 12th
Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs
In as male-dominated a sport as motor racing, women drivers are still a rarity – but not without their exceptions. Danica Patrick has become a household name in IndyCar and NASCAR, Vanina Ickx (daughter of legendary F1 driver Jacky) has contested Le Mans seven times, Sabine Schmitz is rightly known as the Queen of the Ring, and Natacha Gachnang has made a name for herself in Formula 3 and GT racing. But the latest announcement revolves around one Susie Wolff.
Driving for Mercedes-Benz in the DTM touring car series for the past several years, Susie has now been hired as a development driver for the Williams F1 team. In her new capacity, she’ll be helping the team work out kinks in their simulator, the aerodynamics of the FW34 chassis and even undertake a full track test at an upcoming grand prix.
Now if you’re thinking “Wolff and Williams – why do those names sound familiar together,” you’ve got a keen memory. Toto Wolff is a board member and part owner of the team – and just also happens to be her husband. Follow the jump for the official announcement.
Continue reading Williams signs female test driver Susie Wolff
Williams signs female test driver Susie Wolff originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Spy Shots: Test driver crashes Lamborghini Aventador, accosts spy shooter
Mar 1st
Filed under: Spy Photos, Lamborghini
Being a spy shooter is tough work. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time, hoping to train one’s lens on a glimpse of verboten sheetmetal. We know from our colleagues that it’s hard enough to just catch a blurry glimpse of a distant mule when the quarry doesn’t want to be photographed, making this series of photos from our friends at CarPix that much more remarkable.
Not only have they captured a Lamborghini Aventador cold weather testing in the frigid Arctic Circle, their shutters were snapping as the test driver lost control and went sailing through an intersection and into a snowbank, documenting the crash frame-by-frame. Fortunately for all those involved, the snow wasn’t packed too hard and both driver and Lamborghini emerged miraculously unscathed.
Apparently not happy with his good fortune, CarPix reports that “the driver then leaped out of the car, nearly falling down in the process, and came at our photographer in a fairly aggressive manner.”
Thankfully, the embarrassment and anger was short-lived, as a winch-equipped Audi A6 Allroad came to the rescue. Seeing that his nearly $400,000 test subject was unharmed, the driver apparently cooled off enough to give our man a thumbs up before going on his way.
Lamborghini Aventador Zamboni edition, anyone?
Bonus GIF after the jump.
Continue reading Test driver crashes Lamborghini Aventador, accosts spy shooter
Test driver crashes Lamborghini Aventador, accosts spy shooter originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Petrov lines up as Pirelli test driver… but what will he drive?
Jan 26th
Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs
When the music stops, there are always a few Formula One drivers left without seats. That’s not because the field is getting smaller, it’s because there are always more drivers looking for rides than there are rides to go around. And that’s certainly the case this season. With only one race seat still yet to be confirmed at the perennial backmarker Hispania Racing Team (HRT), several drivers were dumped by the teams they drove for last season.
That includes Rubens Barrichello (axed by Williams in favor of Bruno Senna), Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi (both canned by Toro Rosso), Tonio Liuzzi (from HRT), Adrian Sutil (from Force India) and Vitaly Petrov (dismissed by Lotus-Renault in favor of Kimi Raikkonen).
So where will they all end up? Barrichello and Sutil are left scratching their heads, while Alguersuari and Buemi are lining up roles as official test drivers for major teams. But Petrov is reportedly looking at another avenue that is neither with a current team nor altogether outside of F1.
An official announcement has not been made, but all signs point towards Petrov serving as official test driver for Pirelli. The Italian rubber company needs an F1 driver with recent experience and proven talent to test the tires it furnishes for the entire grid at each grand prix, and that driver looks to be Petrov.
The question is, what will he be driving as Pirelli’s test pilot? Last year, the company used the 2009 Toyota TF109, but that’s now three years old – a relic by F1 standards. Picking up one of last year’s cars from a team still competing in the series could constitute an unfair advantage, particularly given the constrictions on testing these days, so Pirelli is reportedly working with all the teams to try and find a consensus solution, but if none is found, it may have to cut a deal with one of the teams in order to continue its development work on next year’s tire compounds.
Petrov lines up as Pirelli test driver… but what will he drive? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Video: See what an F1 driver really sees while racing
Oct 19th
Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Videos, Racing
As much as we may wish otherwise, the vast majority of those reading this will never find themselves behind the wheel of a Formula 1 race car. And even if they did, actually piloting one of these beasts at speed around a real race track (video games don’t count) is a practice best left to the professionals.
This being the case, the closest you’re likely to get to seeing what it’s really like to drive an F1 car is by watching the video after the break. Lucas di Grassi, formerly a driver for Virgin Racing and now the official test driver for Pirelli, strapped an eye-level camera to his helmet and set out for a lap at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.
According to di Grassi, driving with such an apparatus affixed to his head wasn’t an easy task. “I had to drive with only one eye open as the camera was blocking my other eye, quite tricky,” he said. We bet. See it all shake down after the break.
Continue reading See what an F1 driver really sees while racing
See what an F1 driver really sees while racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official: Jean Alesi heading to Indy with Lotus
Sep 26th
Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus
Formula 1 drivers are always looking for a new challenge. It’s part of their character, and it’s what’s brought former champions out of retirement and sent former grand prix pilots in search of new series to conquer. That last bit has sent big names to series as varied as DTM and the Andros Trophy, but few forms of motor racing hold the kind of new challenge that oval speedways can provide. When you’re used to twisting road courses and street circuits, America’s banked turns require a whole new set of skills.
In recent years, former F1 drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya, Jacques Villeneuve and Kimi Raikkonen have looked to NASCAR to provide that challenge. But that role used to be filled by Indy, back in the day when champions like Nigel Mansell, Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi would take to the Brickyard to show what they’re made of. Now reunited and with new chassis and engine suppliers lining up, IndyCar racing is climbing back towards its former glory, and one former F1 driver plans on staking his claim there for the first time next year.
That’s when Jean Alesi will head to Indianapolis to contest next year’s Indy 500. After having raced in F1, DTM, Le Mans and even the Asia-based Speedcar Series, it’ll be a new challenge for Alesi, and a fitting highlight for Lotus in their increased involvement in IndyCar racing. The British outfit for whom Alesi acts as ambassador and test-driver laureate has been upping its participation in the American open-wheel series, but will begin supplying its own 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engines for use in the series starting next year. Follow the jump for the official announcement.
Continue reading Jean Alesi heading to Indy with Lotus
Jean Alesi heading to Indy with Lotus originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Video: Mercedes-Benz’s heavy hitters to unveil new C-Class DTM in Frankfurt
Sep 11th
Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Coupe, Europe, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Racing
Mercedes-Benz fields no shortage of F1 drivers in the DTM touring car series these days. In fact, up-and-coming F1 star Paul di Resta earned his stripes driving Silver Stars in the series. But while the likes of David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher can be found in the Mercedes paddock at tin-top events around Germany and across Europe, it will be the latter’s older brother Michael taking the spotlight once again, together with his junior teammate Nico Rosberg, when the company unveils its latest DTM challenger at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week.
While the current C-Class DTM racer was based on the sedan, the new vehicle is based on the new C-Class Coupe. Or at least in appearance, anyway, as the underpinnings are likely to largely carry over from the existing machine. The announcement follows the previews given by BMW and Audi back in July of their new challengers, the A5 coupe replacing the previous A4-based machine and the M3 joining the paddock for the first time in decades.
We don’t have long to wait now until we see the new C-Class DTM coupe up close and personal on the floor of the Frankfurt Messe, but for those who just can’t wait, we’ve got a preview clip with 2005 DTM champion (and perennial McLaren test driver) Gary Paffet for your viewing pleasure after the jump.
Continue reading Mercedes-Benz’s heavy hitters to unveil new C-Class DTM in Frankfurt
Mercedes-Benz’s heavy hitters to unveil new C-Class DTM in Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official: Senna in, Grosjean up, Heidfeld out at Lotus Renault GP
Sep 7th
Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Renault
The sidelining of Robert Kubica left big shoes to fill at the Lotus Renault GP team. After the Polish driver crashed out in a pre-season rally, the team was left scrambling to find a replacement. But rather than dip into its own considerable reserve of back-up drivers, the higher-ups opted to bring in Nick Heidfeld to fill Kubica’s seat.
The eleven-season F1 veteran performed admirably in a pinch for Renault, most notably scoring a podium finish in Malaysia. But that didn’t keep the team from replacing him for last week’s Belgian Grand Prix, promoting their test driver and former HRT pilot Bruno Senna to his place.
The move lead to much speculation over what would unfold for the rest of the season, but Renault has now put that to rest by announcing that Senna will be driving the remaining seven rounds left in the season and that Heidfeld – who had (quite understandably) expressed some measure of dissatisfaction with having been shown the door – is departing the team.
It’s a big leg-up for Senna and a ballsy move for Renault, but undoubtedly disappointing for Heidfeld. For his part, the German driver (who’s spent the bulk of his career at Sauber) pledges to be back next season. Meanwhile Senna’s previous role as test driver will be taken up once again by Romain Grosjean, the Franco-Swiss driver who took Nelsinho Piquet‘s place at the team in the wake of the Crashgate scandal in 2009 and who just claimed the title in the GP2 series.
Senna in, Grosjean up, Heidfeld out at Lotus Renault GP originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package smashes Nordschliefe production record with 7:14 lap
Sep 2nd
Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Lexus
The web is afire with news that Lexus has managed to demolish the standing production-car record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The news comes courtesy of EVO Magazine‘s own Chris Harris and Lexus itself via the miracle of Twitter. Lexus test driver Akira Iida reportedly managed to twist the LFA Nürburgring Edition around the infamous circuit in 7:14. If true, that time puts the carbon-fiber exotic four-seconds ahead of the previous production-car champion, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, at 7:18, and it puts the LFA Nürburgring Edition in the top five quickest vehicles to ever run the track.
Impressive.
We’ll keep you posted with more information as Lexus releases details on the run. Here’s hoping they had the video cameras rolling while they were out laying waste to the Green Hell.
Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package smashes Nordschliefe production record with 7:14 lap originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Bruno Senna to take Heidfeld’s place at Renault for Spa
Aug 25th
Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Renault
Most drivers who fail in F1 fail downwards – that is, they drop down to another form of motorsport and change focus. But if your name is Senna, you fail up.
Having tested for Honda before it closed up shop and quit F1, Bruno Senna took the only chance he had to get onto the grid when he debuted with the Hispania Racing Team. That didn’t work out so well – mostly, truth be told, because the team wasn’t up to speed – but after retiring from as many races as he finished and failing to score a single championship point, he was released by HRT.
The nephew of the late, great Ayrton Senna was then picked up as a test driver for the Renault team, which has now announced that it will be giving Bruno a chance to race again this weekend. He’ll be taking the place of Nick Heidfeld, who himself was brought in to fill in for an injured Robert Kubica.
That Heidfeld was actually doing better than his teammate Vitaly Petrov in the standings so far this season didn’t seem to deter the Renault strategists in their desire to shake up its driver lineup over the summer break. Whether Senna is kept on or replaced in turn will likely depend on his performance, so we’ll be watching this weekend and waiting until the team makes a more detailed announcement.
Bruno Senna to take Heidfeld’s place at Renault for Spa originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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