Dan Ticktum was behind the wheel of Red Bull Racing‘s RB15 for the final day of the in-season Barcelona test and says “everyone’s satisfied”, despite a mechanical issue side-lining the Brit for a couple of hours in the afternoon.
It was Ticktum’s second time driving the RB15, six weeks on from his first appearance in Bahrain, and he insists the test was an exercise in data gathering as he set the tenth fastest time, some 3.6seconds off the pace.
“I think for the Team, data-wise, we got what we wanted as today was about executing a specific run plan rather than setting purple sectors,” said Ticktum.
“We had a driveline issue this morning which cost us a few hours but the running that we did get was positive. There will be more feedback later in the week, but overall, at the moment, everyone’s satisfied.”
Red Bull Engineer Simon Rennie says the purpose of the test wasn’t solely about the team’s current package but about “assessing future developments.”
“It was a full programme of aero testing today,” said Rennie. “Some of that was about understanding the car that we have, and the rest was assessing future developments.
“The issue that we had at midday kept us in the garage for a few hours and it was a shame to lose that time but the running we had was very useful.”
As Ticktum looks to progress to Formula 1 in the near future, Rennie was quick to praise the 19 year-old.
“Dan had a good day. As was the case in Bahrain, he did everything we asked him to do. There were many complicated procedures to master and he did them all faultlessly.
“It was interesting having him back in the car six weeks on from the Bahrain test, as he was able to relate to us the areas in which he felt the car has improved since the start of April.”
