Jules Bianchi feels ready for Formula One
At the end of his participation in the Young Driver Tests at Magny-Cours, Jules Bianchi draws a positive assessment of his week, both for himself and for Ferrari, with whom he is driving today. The Frenchman, competing in the World Series by Renault, will head to the Hungaroring at the end of the day for a race he is eager to participate in.
After three days of testing with Force India and Ferrari, Jules Bianchi will fly to Hungary this evening to compete in the Hungarian round of the World Series by Renault championship. During an early press briefing in the Ferrari motorhome, the Frenchman had the opportunity to review his tests at Magny-Cours, starting with today’s session, which was disrupted by rain: « After two days on dry conditions, driving in the wet on the third day is not a bad thing because it helps me progress further and discover new things.
Therefore, the program for the Ferrari Driver Academy driver essentially consisted of acclimating him to conditions he had never encountered before aboard the F2012: « I drove for myself, just to see how the car behaves in the rain. It was my first time on Intermediate tires with this car, and I needed to familiarize myself with the car and the track in these conditions. Then, we did a few aerodynamic evaluations but nothing special. » The driver from Nice appreciated the experience: « It’s cool! Obviously, there’s not much grip, but it’s the same for everyone. I didn’t use the Rain tires, so the first stint I did this morning could have been easier with them, but with the Intermediates, it was nice. »
When asked if he now feels ready to drive in Formula One, Jules Bianchi responds in the affirmative: « Yes, I feel even better prepared after these three days. I have grown a lot and learned yesterday with Force India, so it was really good testing. »
This week, the French driver had the opportunity to drive two different cars – the Ferrari and the Force India – under roughly identical conditions: « They are both good cars, but I can’t really compare them at the moment. The main strength of the Ferrari is probably the fast corners, and for Force India, it’s perhaps more the slow corners. But they are two different cars, so it’s not possible to compare them, and difficult to judge accurately. »
The Frenchman believes, however, that these tests have been beneficial, both for him and for Ferrari: « I think these tests have been positive for me, even today, because I was able to drive with the Intermediates. I was able to improve with each lap, which makes me feel more prepared for Formula One. [For the team,] even if these are young driver tests, we have seen a few small things and perhaps slightly improved the car’s balance, so it will be useful for the upcoming races. »
This weekend, the Tech1 team’s driver in the World Series by Renault will continue his battle for the title at the Hungaroring: « I can’t wait! It will be a difficult weekend for me because after spending three days at Magny-Cours, I will go directly to Hungary. It will be very important for me because I’m aiming for the title and need to make up points [especially to Robin Frijns]: we must stay very focused and achieve a good result. »
About Sam Bird, who is one point ahead of him in the standings and who told our correspondent that he appreciated Jules Bianchi, the Frenchman returns the compliment: « I know him very well because I was his teammate in 2010 in GP2. He is very fast, very strong, and I appreciate him, even off the track: he is a good friend. »
From our correspondent in Magny-Cours.
