Wednesday 18 February 2015

Wehrlein to test for Force India this week

(Sahara Force India Formula One Team)

The Sahara Force India Formula One Team have confirmed that Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team test driver Pascal Wehrlein will drive the VJM07 on the opening day of testing in Barcelona on Thursday.

The German will also drive the car on Saturday. Force India race driver Sergio Pérez will drive car on Friday while Nico Hülkenberg will drive the car on Sunday the final day of the test. Wehrlein thanked the team for giving him the opportunity to test saying:

'I am very happy that Sahara Force India has offered me the opportunity to drive their car for two days at the official test in Barcelona and that Mercedes-Benz has supported me to make this happen. As a young driver, any time youcan spend in the car is extremely important and you can learn a lotI know the simulatoralready, but I don´t have much experience on the trackMy first goal in Spain will be to do a great job together with the team, to learn as much as possible and to give good feedback to the engineers. 

I have already driven the world champion Mercedes-Benz F1 W05 Hybrid and the comparison with Sahara Force India will be very exciting for methe way the team workshow they improve the car and handle problems - all this will help me to gain experience and to reach the next level in my development. Everybody knows that lap times only play a secondary role when you’re testing. But of course I want to be as competitive as possible. Sahara Force India performed very strongly last season and I hope I will be able to make a small contribution to push the team forward and be ready for the opening race in Melbourne.'

Force India Team Principal and Managing Director Dr Vijay Mallya commented on the news saying:

'I’m pleased to give Pascal a chance to work with us in Barcelona. He’s an exciting young talent who has already proved he has what it takes to be successful at the highest level in motorsport. As a reserve driver for Mercedes-Benz, he’s clearly destined for a career in Formula One and I’m sure the test will be a positive experience on both sides. Being able to call upon Pascal for testing duties is also a clear demonstration of our strong working relationship with our engine partner, Mercedes-Benz, and I thank them for their collaboration.'

© Ben Johnston 2015

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