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[scotty]

...driving in the friday practice sessions at each race.

Daniel Ricciardo will drive for Toro Rosso in Friday practice sessions at all grands prix in 2011, the team has announced.

The Australian, a product of Red Bull's driver development system, was already a reserve for both Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso, and dominated the recent Abu Dhabi rookie test for the former team.

Ricciardo will replace one of Toro Rosso's race drivers, Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, in practice at each event, with the two drivers alternating in stepping aside for the 21-year-old.

Team boss Franz Tost welcomed Ricciardo's promotion and joked that it would keep Buemi and Alguersuari on their toes.

"When our team was created, its stated aim was to bring on young drivers from the Red Bull Junior Programme, so Daniel's appointment as our third driver is an obvious one," he said.

"Although Daniel has done some F1 testing already, running on Fridays at the grands prix will give him a valuable insight into the additional pressures of doing it for real during a race weekend.

"I am also sure that having a hungry youngster on the books will keep our current driver pairing nice and sharp!"

Ricciardo will also contest the Formula Renault 3.5 series again next season. He finished second in the championship at the first attempt this year.

"I am really excited at the prospect of driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso in the free practice one sessions at the grands prix next year, so I have to say thanks to Red Bull for this great opportunity," he said.

"My main priority for 2011 is to win the Formula Renault 3.5 championship, but my ultimate aim is to be a full-time Formula 1 driver and this new role has to be the best step towards achieving that ambition."

I expect Buemi to be making way at some point next season unless he is able to make huge strides forward in performance...

[bud]

Awesome, lets hope he doesn't meet the same STR fate as a few others.

[7UpJordan]

...driving in the friday practice sessions at each race.

Daniel Ricciardo will drive for Toro Rosso in Friday practice sessions at all grands prix in 2011, the team has announced.

The Australian, a product of Red Bull's driver development system, was already a reserve for both Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso, and dominated the recent Abu Dhabi rookie test for the former team.

Ricciardo will replace one of Toro Rosso's race drivers, Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, in practice at each event, with the two drivers alternating in stepping aside for the 21-year-old.

Team boss Franz Tost welcomed Ricciardo's promotion and joked that it would keep Buemi and Alguersuari on their toes.

"When our team was created, its stated aim was to bring on young drivers from the Red Bull Junior Programme, so Daniel's appointment as our third driver is an obvious one," he said.

"Although Daniel has done some F1 testing already, running on Fridays at the grands prix will give him a valuable insight into the additional pressures of doing it for real during a race weekend.

"I am also sure that having a hungry youngster on the books will keep our current driver pairing nice and sharp!"

Ricciardo will also contest the Formula Renault 3.5 series again next season. He finished second in the championship at the first attempt this year.

"I am really excited at the prospect of driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso in the free practice one sessions at the grands prix next year, so I have to say thanks to Red Bull for this great opportunity," he said.

"My main priority for 2011 is to win the Formula Renault 3.5 championship, but my ultimate aim is to be a full-time Formula 1 driver and this new role has to be the best step towards achieving that ambition."

I expect Buemi to be making way at some point next season unless he is able to make huge strides forward in performance...

Probably more chance of Algy getting ditched as Toro Rosso have always been in bed with Buemi from the end of 2008.

[Denthúl]

Probably more chance of Algy getting ditched as Toro Rosso have always been in bed with Buemi from the end of 2008.

Recent comments from Tost seem to disagree. He said something along the lines of Buemi having had enough time to prove himself and Alguersuari being a rising star. So...

Personally, I think that this will put a lot of pressure on both the Toro Rosso drivers but unless Alguersuari does something stupid in 2011 then I can definitely see that it will be Buemi making way. I certainly think that Buemi has had his chance and, whilst a decent performer, has not shown himself to be particularly impressive.

[Hansy]

Probably more chance of Algy getting ditched as Toro Rosso have always been in bed with Buemi from the end of 2008.

Recent comments from Tost seem to disagree. He said something along the lines of Buemi having had enough time to prove himself and Alguersuari being a rising star. So...

Personally, I think that this will put a lot of pressure on both the Toro Rosso drivers but unless Alguersuari does something stupid in 2011 then I can definitely see that it will be Buemi making way. I certainly think that Buemi has had his chance and, whilst a decent performer, has not shown himself to be particularly impressive.

The cycle seems to go on and on at STR. I only fear for when the next Daniel Ricciardo is looking to join the team, and then it will be Jaime looking lackluster...? I hope it's not the case. Buemi hasn't done so bad itself, it's hard to show anything on such a bad car.

[Herbs]

Go Daniel! Expect him to snaffle a race seat halfway through the season or so, word is, as mentioned, that Buemi will be knifed, but who knows?

[Denthúl]

Probably more chance of Algy getting ditched as Toro Rosso have always been in bed with Buemi from the end of 2008.

Recent comments from Tost seem to disagree. He said something along the lines of Buemi having had enough time to prove himself and Alguersuari being a rising star. So...

Personally, I think that this will put a lot of pressure on both the Toro Rosso drivers but unless Alguersuari does something stupid in 2011 then I can definitely see that it will be Buemi making way. I certainly think that Buemi has had his chance and, whilst a decent performer, has not shown himself to be particularly impressive.

The cycle seems to go on and on at STR. I only fear for when the next Daniel Ricciardo is looking to join the team, and then it will be Jaime looking lackluster...? I hope it's not the case. Buemi hasn't done so bad itself, it's hard to show anything on such a bad car.

I don't think it's the car that's bad, but the team. Remember that their 2009 car was a modified RB5, which fought for the title, and they scored a grand total of 8 points. Their 2010 car was based on the previous year's car, so should still have been quite good. They scored 13 points and were behind Sauber, who had gone through a horrendously tough winter of uncertainty and who started off the season with a worse car.

[Robert12010]

this is good news, good luck danny boy !

[7UpJordan]

I don't think it's the car that's bad, but the team. Remember that their 2009 car was a modified RB5, which fought for the title, and they scored a grand total of 8 points. Their 2010 car was based on the previous year's car, so should still have been quite good. They scored 13 points and were behind Sauber, who had gone through a horrendously tough winter of uncertainty and who started off the season with a worse car.

And particularly Tost who quite frankly is a tosser.

[bud]

He should be well liked by the team with his Italian background so should fit in nicely. Though Tost is always a problem!

[spankyham]

I would love to see Danny in a different Italian F1 car