Lotus reserve driver Davide Valsecchi says his ability 'to get immediately on the pace' at the Circuit de Catalunya on Saturday proves that the team has a strong car for the 2013 Formula 1 campaign, with the Italian standing in for the unwell Kimi Räikkönen.
The reigning GP2 Champion completed 16 laps at the Barcelona venue this morning, later handing over to Romain Grosjean who responded to the team's emergency recall. After his test outing with the team in Abu Dhabi last November, Valsecchi adapted quickly and posted a time just one tenth shy of Grosjean's personal best.
"This morning was quite a rush to get everything ready as the call came late, but the team were fantastic getting the car prepared," said Valsecchi.
"I only completed short runs today so I have a limited impression of the E21, however it's clear that it's a very good racing car. For me to be able to get immediately on the pace means that the car is certainly fast and competitive. It was a fantastic opportunity; I sat in the seat of a former World Champion so I knew that I would be fast for sure."
Räikkönen will complete the final day of testing for Lotus if he has recovered in time, but Grosjean is set to remain on standby until a final decision is made by the team.
Series
Formula 1
Personalities
Romain Grosjean
Davide Valsecchi
Kimi Räikkönen
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Lotus Renault
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| Pos. | Driver | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  L. Hamilton | 01:20.558 | 117 |
| 2. | F. Massa | 01:21.266 | 94 |
| 3. | A. Sutil | 01:21.627 | 109 |
| 4. | P. Maldonado | 01:22.305 | 34 |
| 5. | V. Bottas | 01:22.468 | 31 |
| 6. | E. Gutiérrez | 01:22.553 | 99 |
| 7. | M. Webber | 01:22.658 | 59 |
| 8. | S. Perez | 01:22.694 | 101 |
| 9. | J. Vergne | 01:23.223 | 114 |
| 10. | R. Grosjean | 01:23.380 | 46 |
| Full results | |||
| Kimi Räikkönen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| More Kimi Räikkönen photos | |||
| Davide Valsecchi | |||
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| More Davide Valsecchi photos | |||
| Romain Grosjean | |||
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| More Romain Grosjean photos | |||
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