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[sagi58]

Benvenuto!!

, Steven De Groote wrote:">Gutierrez appointed Ferrari test and reserve driver

Ferrari have announced the signing of Esteban Gutierrez as the team's new test and reserve driver. Mexican Gutierrez previously competed in F1 for two years with Sauber.

“While confirming our full confidence in a formidable race driver pairing, made up of four times World Champion Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, a past champion with Ferrari, I am pleased to welcome Esteban Gutierrez,” commented the Scuderia’s Director General and Team Principal, Maurizio Arrivabene.

“We are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to Esteban who, although young, has plenty of experience relating to the new generation of Formula 1 cars. I am sure that, with his experience, he will make an important contribution to the development work of the team in the simulator. Welcoming Esteban also means opening the gates of Ferrari to a driver from Mexico, a country where the Scuderia still has a lot of fans, just as was the case fifty years ago in the days of the Rodriguez brothers.”

“It is an honour to become part of the Scuderia Ferrari family, a Team with such an exceptional history,” commented Esteban Gutierrez. “It is for me the beginning of a new path for my future and I’m going to do my utmost to contribute to the achievement of the targets set by the Scuderia. I want to thank everybody for their belief in my potential; this will bring a great opportunity for me to develop further and get to the top in the near future. With all my passion and dedication, I’m now looking forward to the start of this new venture.”

[LiamCatterson]

A shocker if anything. I never expect Ferrari to be interested to pick him up. I doubt he'll get anywhere however...

[sagi58]

Why, Liam? You don't think he has the talent?
Or is his talent "average"?

[sagi58]

 wrote:">#askEsteban: Esteban's answers to the fans

[youtube]/S1m24fWIVm4[/youtube]

[sagi58]

 wrote:">One of us


Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have been regular visitors and today it was the turn of Esteban Gutierrez to come and see the departments that make up the Gestione Sportiva, where work is proceeding round the clock on the new car. The young Mexican who, as of this year, is a test driver as well as third driver for the team, was shown round by the Scuderia’s Technical Director James Allison. He was made to feel welcome by the Maranello crew, who gave him a warm round of applause.

[sagi58]

 wrote:">Gutierrez could drive FP1 for Ferrari in Mexico

Esteban Gutierrez is set to make his debut at the wheel of a Ferrari. After two years with Sauber, the 23-year-old has taken his Mexican sponsors to Maranello, where he is now the official reserve driver.

New team boss Maurizio Arrivabene thinks that despite his difficult time since debuting in F1, Gutierrez has promise. "Talented drivers must not be thrown on to the scene too early," he said. "I am sure he is talented and will have a chance to show it." That chance will begin next week, when Arrivabene said the Mexican will attend a 'filming day' with the new SF15-T in Barcelona.

And he added: "I think that Esteban will be the star of the Mexican grand prix. Maybe we can give him the chance to do a few laps on Friday. I'm not sure yet," he said of Gutierrez's Friday run at his home race, the first in Mexico since the early 90s. "It depends on how we are going at this time of the season. But why not?"

Charismatic Arrivabene said he is happy with Ferrari's new reserve so far. "He works hard, he learns and he has made a good start," he said.

[sagi58]

, Staff wrote:">A first for Esteban

Maranello, 26 February –

In a short interview, shot at the Barcelona Filming Day, Esteban Gutierrez gives his first impressions of being behind the wheel of the SF15-T, the car the team is running right now at the Catalunya circuit in the second of two pre-season tests at this track.

After countless simulator sessions, the Scuderia’s third driver was impressed with this first hand experience of the car, which has also helped him get to know the team and its way of working.

Check out the video, here:

[sagi58]

, Staff wrote:">The desert by night

Maranello, 17 April – Night races have always been particularly enticing to drivers and Esteban Gutierrez is no exception to that rule. “I really like the fact that the Bahrain race is held at night,” Scuderia Ferrari’s third driver told ferrari.com. “Because, not only does it help the drivers, it also helps with the handling of the car. The fact it’s a few degrees cooler certainly helps cool all the mechanical components and, at a track where there are many heavy braking points, that is a not inconsiderable advantage. The braking system has to be specifically set up for this race and that’s no easy task: of the eight corners, the hardest is definitely the first one, where you go from around 320 km/h to 60, within the space of just 160 metres.

“The wind is always a very important factor at Sakhir and its direction can have a significant impact on lap time. In terms of set-up, the circuit requires a medium level of aerodynamic downforce. While it’s true there are some long straights, where that isn’t strictly necessary, the downforce level comes into its own in the quick corners like turns 7 and 8 and 12 and 13.

Fuel consumption is high and so striving for maximum efficiency will be vital when it comes to defining the strategy. “Even though temperatures will be lower at night, the sand will still be blown onto the track,” concludes Esteban. “And this means the tyres will suffer considerable wear and so we can expect to see a high number of pit stops on Sunday.”

Video available here:

[sagi58]

Staff wrote:">Mission accomplished

Montmelò, 13 May –

Scuderia Ferrari’s third driver, Esteban Gutierrez, racked up 119 laps on his first outing at the wheel of the SF15-T, on the second and final day of testing at the Montmelo circuit. The young Mexican continued with the vital role of gathering data, which had begun yesterday at the Catalan track. The main item on the agenda was an in-depth analysis of the new aero package the team ran at the track over the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

[sagi58]

Staff wrote:">A very good feeling

Esteban Gutiérrez:

“Our work was aimed at the upcoming races, looking at various aspects, such as driveability, aerodynamics and set-up. We managed to complete a lot of laps and it was definitely a very productive day, even though it was interrupted by a red flag.

However, we managed to make up for lost time and complete our planned programme. We were looking to validate the new aerodynamic package and we managed that. It was a case of understanding how to improve the car’s set-up to better suit the new solutions we ran in the last race and that’s what we did. It was very exciting to drive the SF15-T for the first time and I got a very good feeling from it.

It will be very interesting to transfer this data to our work in the simulator, once we are back in Maranello”.