Robert Wickens completed his first straight-line aero test for Virgin at the Vairano circuit on Tuesday.
Wickens, who is Virgin's reserve driver and currently leading the Formula Renault 3.5 championship, completed 210km as the team looked to gain further data and a better knowledge of the new aerodynamic upgrade that it first ran at Monza. Wickens said that the time in the car was important for his own development as well as the information it supplied the team.
"It was great to work with the team in this way," Wickens said. "Driving the car is obviously a natural step in my progression and education as a Reserve Driver with Marussia Virgin Racing. Like all drivers I'm eager for seat time and the work we did today undoubtedly plays an important role for the team in its aerodynamic development program. It was a good day and I was happy to sample the car for myself, albeit in a straight line, having watched Timo and Jérôme behind the wheel for the past couple of months!"
Team principal John Booth said that there were a few problems at the start of the day, which was Virgin's third straight-line test of the season, but that he was impressed with Wickens on his debut in a Formula One car.
"It was a slow start to the day due to an issue with the engine, however the Cosworth technicians working with the team did a good job to solve the problem as quickly as possible. From that point on, the day ran pretty much to plan and we have been able to collect a huge amount of data to analyse. Robert also did a great job in his F1 testing debut. It was his first time in the MVR-02 car and he adapted very quickly to the controls and steering wheel. It has been a very positive experience for him which he has handled very well."
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