Rovanpera completes first F1 test in a Red Bull car
11/06/2024 02:25 PM
WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera had his first run in a Red Bull F1 car at Red Bull Ring, after undertaking sim sessions and a drive in F4/F3.5 machinery.
In a surprise scene, WRC champion Rovanpera got to drive the Red Bull RB8 at the Red Bull Ring circuit last week after an extensive pre-event preparation. He held simulator sessions at Milton Keynes, while drove F4 and Formula Renault 3.5 cars at the track before getting a taste of the big piece of machinery.
As per Motorsport Network, he completed about 50 laps. "It was a great day, I got to drive three different formula cars," he said. "I got quite a few laps in and, of course, the F1 was something I had been looking forward to for a long time, so it was really cool to finally get to drive it. The day went well, and I was left with very good feelings.
"The biggest differences between rally and F1 are obviously that a rally car moves a lot more from the body – F1 is a bit like a karting car, it doesn’t move much from its suspension, but it has an incredible amount of grip – and of course, F1 has a huge amount of downforce, which allows you to drive much faster in corners. It’s also physically quite different.
"There’s a lot more lateral G-force, the car stops much more and turns more – it feels very different to the driver, there are a lot more G-forces and the car has an incredible amount of grip. "Indeed, the first time you sit in there, it feels quite different than in a rally car – you also sit in such a different position that it feels quite different – but it was really cool to get to feel it today."
Kalle Rovanperä driving Red Bull Racing Formula car at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1, 2024. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060167 // Usage for editorial use only //Kalle Rovanperä driving Red Bull Racing Formula car at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1, 2024. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060168 // Usage for editorial use only //Kalle Rovanperä driving Red Bull Racing Formula car at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060164 // Usage for editorial use only //Kalle Rovanperä seen with the Red Bull Racing team during the test drive at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060162 // Usage for editorial use only //Kalle Rovanperä posing in front of the Red Bull Racing Formula car at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060173 // Usage for editorial use only //Kalle Rovanperä driving Red Bull Racing Formula car at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060165 // Usage for editorial use only //Kalle Rovanperä driving Red Bull Racing Formula car at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060166 // Usage for editorial use only //Kalle Rovanperä driving Red Bull Racing Formula car at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060170 // Usage for editorial use only //Kalle Rovanperä posing in front of the Red Bull Racing Formula cars at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060172 // Usage for editorial use only //Kalle Rovanperä driving Red Bull Racing Formula car at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, on November 1, 2024. // Michael Jurtin / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411060171 // Usage for editorial use only //
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