Sebastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari admit Daniel Ricciardo is a fast driver – Formula 1 news
Formula 1 Toro Rosso drivers have admitted that Daniel Ricciardo is a fast driver as compared to them.
However, both drivers Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari happily welcomed Daniel into the team and accepted that his presence in the team is not an additional pressure on them.
Ricciardo was a test as well as reserve driver of Red Bull and its sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso in the 2010 season. He fulfilled all his duties for both teams until he was finally removed from the Red Bull junior team.
Regarding Ricciardo track debut behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, he took part over the three-day Jerez test and on the final day of testing, he clocked the fastest time of the test and was confirmed as the single driver to represent Red Bull Racing.
He finished his fastest lap with a time of 1.3 seconds faster than 2010 World Champion Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel. As a result, Ricciardo remained unbeaten in Formula 1 Jerez tests.
As Alguersuari considers Ricciardo an important part of the Toro Rosso team, he feels confident ahead of the 2011 season. He said that it was very important for the team that Daniel is in the new Toro Rosso car this year because they learnt all of the new
setups of the STR6 car over the sessions which were not installed in the last year.
He said, “We know Daniel is a fast driver, and we will have another voice in the team to judge what we need to improve, what we need to achieve.”
He added that it is also great for Ricciardo to get this new chance from Toro Rosso and he will be driving the car in the Friday practice sessions for the team.
He went on to say, “In the end the pressure is always in your hands. You live and you die with your own pressure. It's never the others, it's yours, and it’s what you create in your mind. It's not a negative thing; actually it's a very positive thing. I
don't mind to stay off the track in FP1, because to be honest, we don't really run a lot.”
On the other hand, Buemi confirmed that missing out on an occasional Friday practice sessions would not be a great hardship for the team.
He stated, “Not driving on Friday morning every two grand’s prix... I have to be honest, you don't do too much, and the circuit is not clean, and we will have a kind of comparison, you know? Daniel has been really quick in a Red Bull car, and now we will
see in a Toro Rosso.”
Let’s see how Daniel Ricciardo fares in the upcoming 2011 Formula 1 season that will begin in Australia on March 27.
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