GP3 Series driver Adrian Quaife-Hobbs will drive a Formula 1 car for the first time when he takes part in a test for the Virgin Racing team in Spain on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Briton is racing for Virgin's sister Manor Racing team in GP3 for the second season in 2011. He will carry out straight-line testing for the Formula 1 team at Idiada in Spain, ahead of next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. He will carry out the commitments as part of the Marussia Virgin Young Driver Development Programme.
Quaife-Hobbs visited the team's Sheffield headquarters on Thursday for a briefing and seat fitting. He will fly out to Spain on Saturday ahead of the test which begins at 9am on Sunday.
Initially he will do approximately 300 km evaluating the bodywork used by the team in the first three races of 2011. He will then evaluate the car's new and updated bodywork.
“I'm very much looking forward to driving an F1 car for the first time and must thank the Marussia Virgin Racing team for the faith they have shown in me in allowing me to carry out aerodynamic testing in their new car,” said Quaife-Hobbs.
“It's a great opportunity to get the chance to drive an F1 car as the team carries out computerised design testing with the new car. We'll be testing lots of aero parts and I'm really proud to be playing a part in it. Doing aero testing there is no pressure to perform but it will give me a great opportunity to see how the F1 team works.”
Quaife-Hobbs will be back in action as part of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, racing in the second round of the GP3 season at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.
