Sauber Abu Dhabi young driver test Tuesday report
Sauber press release
Fabio Leimer was at the wheel of the Sauber C30-Ferrari for the first of the three “Young Driver Days” in Abu Dhabi. For the 22-year-old Swiss it was the first test in a F1 car. He made himself familiar with the C30 quite quickly, and completed 74 laps on the 5.554 km long circuit on which he won the final GP2 race last weekend. The Sauber F1 Team was happy with how testing went in the desert heat and also with Fabio, who will now go back and work with his GP2 team for next year.
Fabio Leimer:
"To me it was good day. I was able to improve from the morning to the afternoon, and I learnt a lot for my future. I wasn't only impressed by the power of the car, as actually I didn't expect it to be so nice to drive. It is so stable and smooth when riding the kerbs compared to a GP2 car. I was a bit worried about my neck before the test, but this wasn't an issue.
What I could feel in the end was that the concentration needed during the entire day was quite intense. Obviously I had to learn a lot about procedures and switches. All in all, I'm happy with what the team and I have done today - it was a great day, full of new experiences."
We covered a good mileage today and completed the programme with Fabio as planned
Giampaolo Dall’Ara - (Head of Track Engineering)
“We covered a good mileage today and completed the programme with Fabio as planned. We had no major problems except the radio communication didn’t always work as it should have, which sometimes made it a bit difficult for Fabio. The morning session was about him getting familiar with the car and doing some aero testing. Later we did some set-up and evaluation work. Fabio had four sets of soft and one set of super soft tyres available. He handled the programme well, gave good feedback and left a good impression with the team. We wish him a great 2012 GP2 season!”
Circuit
Yas Marina Circuit / 5.554 km
Driver
Fabio Leimer (22, Switzerland)
Weather
Sunny and dry, air 26-32°C, track 28-46°C
Chassis / engine
Sauber C30-Ferrari (Chassis 01 / Ferrari 056)
Mileage today
74 laps in total / 417 km
Fastest lap
1:42.331 min (in the afternoon)
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