Button and Hamilton absent from Mugello tests
The regular drivers of the McLaren-Mercedes team will not participate in the private tests at Mugello in two weeks, thus leaving their place to Oliver Turvey and Gary Paffett.
From May 1st to 3rd, before returning to European soil, Formula One drivers and teams will meet near Florence at the Italian Mugello circuit for the fourth and final private test session of the season, the only one taking place after the championship has begun.
If most of the teams will take advantage of these three days of testing to try out new parts, notably Ferrari which is expected to debut its famous F2012B, not all main drivers will be participating. This is the case at McLaren-Mercedes, for example, where it has been decided that Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will not take part in any of the three scheduled days, leaving their seats to young Oliver Turvey and Gary Paffett.
The two English drivers, aged 25 and 31 respectively, participated in the young driver tests in Abu Dhabi last autumn, but they won’t be the only non-race drivers on track at Mugello since, earlier this week, Lotus announced that Jérôme d’Ambrosio would take the wheel of the Lotus E20 during these tests, although his schedule is yet to be determined.
